u* 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN, 



OR 



TWENTY YEARS AT SEA 



BEING THE PERSONAL ADVENTURES OF THE AUTHOR. 



BY GEORGE LITTLE, 

For many years Captain in the Merchant Service out of the Port of Baltimore, 
but now entirely blind. 



BALTIMORE: 
ARMSTRONG & BERRY. 

1843. 



Q r4- o 
, Z-7 



Entered according; to the Act of Congress, in the year 1843, by 

GlCOROB L.1TTLE, 

in the Clerk's office of the District Court of Maryland. 



WOODS & CRANE, PRINTER 



PREFACE. 



The author of the following narrative has been in- 
duced to submit it to the public, at the instance and 
solicitation of numerous friends, who with a full know- 
ledge of his past life and of his present condition and 
circumstances, have united in the opinion, that what- 
ever of advantage or disadvantage might accrue to the 
author, its publication would be of essential service in 
removing many erroneous and unfavourable impressions, 
which prevail in relation to the character and habits of 
seamen. 

The author is a sailor, the prime of whose life has been 
spent amid the strife of the elements, and not amid the 
endearments of the domestic circle. His past associa- 
tions are of a character widely different from those 
which distinguish the literary taste and refinements of 
the fashionable saloons of the present day ; and when 
he states that he is now and has been for years past 
entirely blind — thus disabled from pursuing his profes- 
sion — that in consequence of this affliction and even 
with the aid of an amanuensis, many difficulties must 
obviously have interposed in the prosecution and com- 
pletion of the manuscript, he appeals with confidence 
to the discernment of the public, and feels assured that 
any faults in elegance of composition or otherwise 
which his peculiar situation may have rendered un- 
avoidable, will be overlooked. 

The "twenty years at sea," the narrative of which 
so far as it is connected with his own life, he now lays 
before the reader, will ever be a memorable epoch in 
the world's history. Europe was subjected to successive 



IV PREFACE. 

and continued revolutions. The nations of the con- 
tinent were engaged in a deadly struggle for political 
existence, and while the two rival powers, France and 
England, were each putting forth their mightiest efforts 
to secure the controlling influence, our own infant 
Republic, acting under the wise policy originally sanc- 
tioned and pursued by Washington, was reaping a rich 
and abundant harvest in supplying the necessities of 
the belligerents, thus developing her boundless re- 
sources, adding to her physical strength, and laying the 
foundation of that naval prowess which shone so con- 
spicuously in her subsequent conflict with Great Britain. 
In many of the exciting incidents growing out of 
these events, the author was an actor, and a participator 
too in the exposures and sufferings which war inevitably 
occasions. He, therefore, flatters himself that the in- 
terest which may be awakened in the perusal of his 
book, and the full and correct view given of nautical 
life, will more than overbalance whatever errors in 
composition he may have inadvertently committed. 

The reader will perceive, that in the narrative itself, 
as well as in the dialogues introduced, the author has 
preserved the maritime technicalities and rough mode 
of expression peculiar to sailors ; his chief object in fact, 
has been to exhibit a true picture of "life on the ocean," 
blending with it those wholesome, moral and religious 
truths, which should be inculcated upon the minds of 
seamen. That it may more forcibly serve as a mirror 
for his brother tars, wherein they may view their defects 
as well as their excellences ; that a fresh impulse may 
be given to the efforts of the christian community in 
behalf of the spiritual wants of those who "go down to 
the sea in ships ;" and that it may prove a source of 
recreation and (he humbly trusts) of instruction to all 
who may honour him by classing themselves among 
his readers, is the sincere desire of the author. 



CONTENTS 



PAGE. 

Preface, . . . . . . . . . 3 

Explanation of sea phrases, 9 

CHAPTER I. 

Birth and parentage — Early desire for the life of a sailor, 21 

CHAPTER II. 

Going on board — Description of ship and character of the offi- 
cers — Observations upon the green-hands — Getting under 
way — First night at sea — Gale, &c. . . .29 

CHAPTER III. 

Continuance of the gale — Superstition of sailors — sunrise at 
sea — crossing the line, &c. . . . . . 37 

CHAPTER IV. 

Moonrise at sea — Heavy squalls — Rounding Cape Horn — 

Excursion in search of water, &c. &c 44 

CHAPTER V. 

Object of the voyage explained to the crew — Commencement 

of traffic on the coast of Chili — Bay of Coquimbo, &c. &c. 54 

CHAPTER VI. 

Traffic on the coast continued — Treachery of the Spaniards — 
Sail for the Gallipagos Islands— Description of them, . 65 



VI CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER VII. 

Information of the capture of a Boston ship by a Spanish 
cruiser — An attempted capture of our boats defeated— 
Port of Isle y — News of a Spanish cruiser — Description of 
a hurricane — Severe engagement, .... 76 

CHAPTER VIII. 

Sail for Cocos Island—Conversation with Jack Sawyer — Des- 
cription of Chatham Island — Melancholy death and funeral 
of one of the seamen, 87 

CHAPTER IX. 

Exciting chase and escape — Superstition of seamen — Fall of 
the author from the foretop and loss of a man overboard — 
Sail for Shelvack's Island, . 99 

CHAPTER X. 

Sail for the Gulf of California— Friendly reception and agree- 
able intercourse with the Spaniards at Guimas, . . 109 

CHAPTER XI. 

Jack Sawyer's narrative commenced — Arrival at the Sandwich 

Islands — Description of Owyhee, &c 123 

CHAPTER XII. 

Jack Sawyer resumes his narrative — Passage to Canton, . 139 

CHAPTER XIII. 
Sail from Canton homeward bound — Passage through the 

China sea, &c 151 

CHAPTER XIV. 

English East India fleet — The chase — Jack Sawyer's narrative, 
resumed. . 157 

CHAPTER XV. 

Saturday night at sea — Conclusion of Jack Sawyer's narrative 

&c 170 

CHAPTER XVI. 

Meeting with friends at home — Last interview with Jack 

Sawyer — Sail in the ship Baltic for Rio Janeiro, . .182 



CONTENTS. VU 

CHAPTER XVII. 

Unfortunate circumstances inducing a return to the United 
States — Arrival — Warlike preparations — Prospects of re- 
maining on shore broken up — Entered on board a priva- 
teer — Sailed on a cruise, 194 

CHAPTER XVIII. 

Boarding in the night — Capture — Taken prisoner by Can- 
nibals — Horrible treatment — Release by ransom — Sail 
for Carthagena, 200 

CHAPTER XIX. 

Leave the privateer and sail for the United States — Enter on 
board a letter of marque — Captured by the English — 
Recaptured by the Paul Jones privateer — Enter as prize- 
master — Her officers and crew, . . . . . .210 

CHAPTER XX. 

Capture of prizes — Chase — Termination of cruise, &c. . . 221 
CHAPTER XXI. 

Removal to Dartmoor — Description of it — Plan to effect an 
escape, 231 

CHAPTER XXII. 

Loss of prize money — Voyage to London — Narrow escape 

from shipwreck, &c. &c. 245 

CHAPTER XXIII. 

Passage from London to Baltimore — Voyage to Oporto and 

St. Ubes — Disaster on Oporto bar, &c 254 

CHAPTER XXIV. 

Return to the United States — Voyage to the West Indies — 

Supernatural appearances on board, .... 263 

CHAPTER XXV. 

Conclusion of the West India voyage — Sail for London, 

Batavia, &c< 273 



Vlll CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER XXVI. 

Arrival at Batavia — Return voyage — Sickness of crew — Put 
in at Cape of Good Hope — Profligacy of seamen on 
shore, &c. . 282 

CHAPTER XXVI. 

Marriage — Takes command of the ship William — Voyage to 
Lisbon — Heavy gales, 291 

CHAPTER XXVII. 

Voyage to Batavia — Burial at sea, 301 

CHAPTER XXVIII. 

India voyage concluded — Voyage to New Orleans and Liver- 
pool — Conduct of Captain B. &.c. &c 313 

CHAPTER XXIX. 

Voyage to the Pacific — Dangerous lee shore — And providential 

escape, 323 

CHAPTER XXX. 

Continuation of voyage — Arrival at Callao — Visit to Lima, 
&c. &c. 331 

CHAPTER XXXI. 

Religious impressions and happy results — Sail for Havana 
and southern ports — Rencontre with pirates on board — 
Their capture and delivery to the authorities of New 
Orleans, 342 

CHAPTER XXXII. 

Piratical chase and narrow escape — Religious scene at sea, 
&c 354 

CHAPTER XXXIII. 

Reflections on the character and condition of seamen, . . 369 

CHAPTER XXXIV. 
Suggestions in regard to the moral improvement of seamen, 385 

CHAPTER XXXV. 
Conclusion. . . 393 



NAUTICAL VOCABULARY. 



Aback.— Situation of the sails when their surfaces are forced aft 

by the force of the wind. 
Abaft or Aft. — The sternmost part of the ship. 
Abaft the beam.— Denotes the relative situation of any object from 

the ship which inclines towards the stern. 
Aboard. — The inside of the ship. 
Aboard main-tack. — To haul the corner of the mainsail down to 

the chest- tree. 
About. — The situation of the ship when she is tacked, or changed 

her course. 
Adrift. — The state of a ship broken from her moorings, a driving 

about without control. 
Afore. — All that part of the ship which lies forward near the stem. 
Ahead. — Any thing that is situated on that part of the compass to 

which a ship's stem is directed. 
A-hull. — The situation of a ship when all her sails are furled at sea. 
A-lee. — The situation of the helm when put down to the lee side. 
All in the wind. — The state of a ship's sails when they are parallel 

to the direction of the wind so as to shiver. 
All hands, a-hoy. — -A call by which all the ship's company are 

summoned on deck. 
Aloft; . — Up in the tops or on the masts or yards. 
Along shore. — A course parallel to the ship's side. 
Amidships. — The middle of a ship either with regard to her length 

or breadth. 
A foul anchor. — When the cable has got about the fluke of the 

anchor. 
Anchor a-peak. — That is directly under the hawse-hole of the ship. 
Anchor cock bill. — That is hangs up and down the ship's side. 
An end. — Mast up and down. 

Astern. — Any distance behind a ship as opposed to her head. 
Athwart ships. — Reaching or in a direction across the ship, from 

one side to the other. 
Avast. — A term used for stop or stay. 
Away. — Is a term used when the anchor is off the bottom, as the 

anchor is away. 
2 



10 NAUTICAL VOCABULARY. 

Awning. — A shelter or screen of canvas to keep off the heat of 

the sun. 
Back the anchor. — To carry out a small anchor ahead of the large 

one in order to support it in bad ground. 
Back the sails. — To arrange them in a situation which will occa- 
sion the ship to move astern. 
Bare poles. — When a ship has no sail set she is under bare poles. 
Batting. — A thin piece of wood to prevent the rigging from cha- 
fing. 
Bear-a-hand. — To make haste or despatch. 
Bearing. — Signifies the point of the compass where two or more 

places or ships., bear from each other. 
Bear off. — To thrust or keep from the ship's side. 
Bear away. — To keep a ship off from the wind. 
Beating to windward. — Is making progress against the wind by 

tacking alternately. 
Becalmed. — To be without wind. 
Before the beam. — Any object from the ship inclining towards the 

stem, is said to be before the beam. 
Belay. — To make fast any rope. 

Bend. — To apply to or fasten, that is to fasten the sails to the yard. 
Between decks. — Space contained between the two decks. 
Bight of a rope. — Double part of a rope when it is folded. 
Bilged. — To break, the ship is bilged when her plank are broken. 
Binnacle. — A kind of box to contain the compass. 
Berth. — A place ; a ship's berth, a place where she is moored; 

an officer's berth, a place or station in the ship. 
Bitts. — A large piece of timber to which the cable is fastened when 

the ship is at an anchor. 
Board. — To board a ship in a hostile, or friendly manner, to make 
a board, is when a ship is making a stretch on any tack upon 
a wind. 
Boatswain. — The officer who has charge of the cordage, rigging 

anchor, &tc. 
Both sheets aft. — The situation of a ship sailing right before the 

wind. 
Bowlines. — Lines made fast to the sides of the sails, to haul them 

forward when upon a wind. 
Bowse. — To pull upon any tackle or rope. 
Bowsprit. — A large mast or piece of timber which stands out from 

the bows of the ship. 
Box-hauling. — -A particular method of veering a ship, when the 

swell of the sea renders tacking impracticable. 
Braces. — The ropes by which the yards are turned about, to ac- 
commodate the sails to the wind, 
Breast-fast. — A rope employed to confine a ship to a wharf &c. 
To broach-to. — To incline suddenly to windward of the ship's 
course, so as to present her side to the wind, and endanger 
her oversetting. 



NAUTICAL VOCABULARY. 11 

Broadside. — A discharge of all the guns on one side of a ship, both 

above and below. 
By the wind. — The course of a ship as near as possible to the 

direction of the wind. 
Buntlines. — -Ropes fastened to the foot-rope of square sails, to 

draw them up to the middle of the yards for furling. 
Buoy. — A conical cask attached to the anchor to show where it 

lies. 
Cap. — A strong, thick block of wood, having two large holes 

through it, the one square, the other round, used to confine 

the two masts together. 
Capstan. — Is an instrument used where a great purchase is re- 
quired. 
Careen. — To incline a ship low down on one side to cleanse the 

bottom. 
Carry away. — To break a mast, yard, or rope. 
Casting. — To incline the head of a ship either to the right hand or 

left. 
Cat-heads. — The timber on a ship's bows, with sheaves to hoist 

the anchor from the surface of the water. 
Cat the anchor. — Is to hook the cat-block, to the ring of the anchor, 

and haul it up close to the cat-head. 
Cat's-paw. — A light air of wind seen on the surface of the water 

during a calm. 
Chains. — A place built out on the sides of a ship by which the 

rigging has greater power to secure the masts. 
Cheerily. — A phrase implying heartily, quickly, cheerfully. 
Claw off. — To turn to windward from a lee-shore to escape ship- 
wreck 
Clewlines. — Are ropes which come down from the yards to the 

lower corners of the sails, and by which the corners or clews 

of the sails are hauled up. 
Clew of the sails. — Lower corners of the squaresails, and aftermost 

of the fore and aft sails. 
Clew up. — To haul up the clews of a sail to its yard by means of 

the clewlines, &c. 
Clinched. — Made fast as the cable is to the ring of the anchor. 
Close hauled. — That trim of the ship's sails when she endeavours 

to make a progress in the nearest direction possible towards 

that point of the compass from which the wind blows. 
Coasting. — The act of making a progress along the sea-coast of 

any country. 
Coil. — To lay a rope or cable round in a ring one turn over 

another. 
Coming to. — Denotes the approach of a ship's head to the direc- 
tion of the wind. 
Course. — The point of the compass upon which the ship sails. 



12 NAUTICAL VOCABULARY. 

Coxswain. — The person who steers the boat. 

Crank ship. — That is when she has not sufficient cargo or ballast 

to render her capable of bearing sail. 
Cun-a-ship. — Is to direct the man at helm how to steer. 
Cut and run. — To cut the cable, and make sail instantly, without 

waiting to weigh anchor. 
Deaden a ship's way. — To impede her progress through the water. 
Dead lights. — A kind of window shutter for the windows in the 

stern of a ship, used in bad weather only. 
Dismasted. — The state of a ship that has lost her masts. 
Dog-vane. — A small vane made of feathers and corks to show the 

direction of the wind. 
Dog-watch. — The watches from four to six, and from six to eight, 

in the evening. 
Doubling. — The act of sailing round, or passing beyond a cape or 

point of land. 
Dowse. — To lower suddenly or slacken. 
Down-haul. — The rope by which any sail is hauled down. 
To draw. — When a sail is inflated by the wind so as to advance 

the vessel on her course. 
Drift. — Is when a ship drives with her side to the wind and 

waves, and is not governed by the power of the helm. 
Dunnage. — A quantity of loose wood laid at the bottom of a ship, 

to keep the goods from being damaged. 
Dunnage. — Is a word used by seamen instead of clothing. 
Earings. — Small ropes used to fasten the upper corners of sails to 

the yards. 
Ease. — To slacken gradually. 
Edge-a-way. — To keep a ship off from the point of the compass 

Whence she had been steering. 
End-on. — When a ship drives to a shore, rock, &c. without an 

apparent possibility of preventing her. 
Even keel. — When a ship is parallel with the horizon, a ship is 

said to be upon an even keel. 
Fair way. — The channel of a narrow bay, river, or haven in which 

ships usually advance in their passage up and down. 
Fall aboard-of. — To strike or encounter another ship when one or 

both are in motion. 
Falling off. — Denotes the motion of the ship's head from the 

direction of the wind. 
Fathom. — A measure of six feet. 
Fid. — A square bar of wood or iron, with shoulders at one end, to 

support the weight of the topmast, when adjusted to its place 

at the head of a lower mast. 
Fill-away. — To brace the sails so as to receive the wind in them, 

and advance the ship in her course, after they have been 

either shivering or braced aback. 



NAUTICAL VOCABULARY. 13 

Fish-hook. — A large hook, by which the anchor is received and 

brought to the cat-head. 
Flat-aft. — The situation of the sails when their surfaces are press- 
ed aft against the mast by the force of the wind. 
Flaw. — A sudden breeze or gust of wind. 
Flowing sheet. — Is when the sheets are slackened, after a ship has 

been sailing upon a wind, or what is usually termed a fair 

wind or flowing sheet. 
Fore-reach. — To shoot ahead or go past another vessel. 
Forward. — Towards the fore part of a ship. 
Foul. — Is used in opposition both to clear and fair. 
Founder. — To sink at sea by filling with water. 
Free. — Pumping is said to free the ship when it discharges more 

water than leaks into her. 
Freshen. — When a gale increases it is said to freshen. 
Fresh way. — When a ship increases her velocity, she is said to 

get fresh way. 
Full. — To keep full is the situation of the sails when they are 

kept distended by the wind. 
Furl. — To roll a sail close up to the yard or stay to which it be- 
longs, and to wind a cord round it to keep it fast. 
Gain the wind. — To arrive to the windward of a ship when both 

are sailing as near the wind as possible. 
Gammon the bowsprit. — Secure it by turns of a strong rope passed 

round it and into the cutwater, to prevent it from having too 

much motion. 
Gangway. — That part of a ship's side, both within and without, 

by which persons enter and depart. 
Gasket. — The rope which is passed round the sail, to bind it to 

the yard when it is furled. 
Girt. — The ship is girt with her cables when she is too tightly 

moored. 
Goose-wings of a sail. — The clew or lower corners of a ship's 

mainsail or foresail when the middle part is tied or furled up 

to the yard. 
Grappling iron. — A species of anchor with four or six flukes to it. 
Grommet. — A rope twisted into a circular form, used for various 

purposes. 
Ground tackle. — Every thing attached to anchors and cables of 

a ship. 
Gunwale. — The upper edge of a ship's side. 
Gun-room. — A place appointed for the gunner and his stores. 
Gibing. — The act of shifting any boom sail from one side to the 

other. 
Halliards. — The ropes by which the sails are hoisted. 
Handing. — The same as furling. 

Hard-a-weather. — Put the tiller quite up to the windward. 
2 # 



14 NAUTICAL VOCABULARY. 

To haul the wind. — To direct the ship's course nearer to the 

point from which the wind blows. 
Hawseholes. — The holes in the bows of a ship through which the 

cables pass. 
Hawser. — A small kind of cable. 
Headfast. — A rope employed to confine the head of a ship to a 

wharf or to some other vessel. 
Head sails. — All the sails which belong to the foremast and bow- 
sprit. 
Head-sea. — When the waves meet at the head of a ship in her 

course, they are called a head sea. 
Heave of the sea. — Is the power that the swell of the sea has upon 

a ship in driving her out of, or faster on her course. 
Heel. — She heels to port, that is, inclines or lays down upon 

either side. 
Hold. — Is the space between the lower deck and the bottom of the 

ships where her cargo, &c. is stowed. 
Horse. — A rope reaching from the middle of a yard to its arms or 

extremities, for the men to stand on when they are loosing 

the sails. 
Hull down. — Is when a ship is so far off that you can only see her 

masts. 
To heave in stays. — To bring a ship's head to the wind by a 

management of the sails and rudder, in order to get on the 

other tack. 
Jeer-Mocks. — The blocks through which the jeers are reeved. 
Jeers. — The ropes by which the lower yards are suspended. 
Jib. — The foremost sail of a ship, set upon a boom which runs 

out upon the bowsprit. 
Jib-boom. — The spar that runs out upon the bowsprit. 
Jurymast. — A temporary or occasional mast, erected in a ship in 

the place of one which has been carried away by accident. 
Kedge. — A small anchor with an iron stock. 
Keel. — The principal piece of timber in a ship, which is usually 

first laid on the blocks in building. 
Keel-haul. — To drag a person backwards and forwards under a 

ship's keel for certain offences. 
Keckled. — Any part of a cable covered with old ropes, to prevent 

its surface from rubbing against the ship's bow or forefoot. 
To keep the luff. — To continue close to the wind. 
Kelson. — A piece of timber forming the interior of the keel, being 

laid on the floor timbers immediately over the keel, and 

serving to unite the former to the latter. 
Kentledge. — Pigs of iron for ballast, laid upon the floor near the 

kelson fore and aft. 
Knippers. — A large kind of plaited rope, which being twisted 

around the messenger and cable, in weighing, binds them 

together. 1 



NAUTICAL VOCABULARY. 15 

Kumatage. — A bright appearance in the horizon, under the sun or 
moon, arising from the reflected light of these bodies from the 
small rippling waves on the surface of the water. 

Laden in bulk. — Freighted with a cargo not packed. 

Landfall. — The first land discovered after a sea voyage. 

Land-locked. — The situation of a ship surrounded, with land, so as 
to exclude the prospect of the sea, unless over some interve- 
ning land. 

Launch ho /—Signifies that the object is high enough and must be 
suddenly lowered. 

Leading wind. — A fair wind for a ship's course. 

Lee. — That part of the hemisphere to which the wind is directed 
to distinguish it from the other part, which is called to wind- 
ward 

Lee-vmy. — The angle which the line of a ship's way makes with 
a line in the direction of her keel. 

Leeches. — The borders or edges of a sail. 

To lie to. — To retard a ship in her course, by arranging the sails 
in such a manner as to counteract each other with nearly an 
equal effort, so as to render her almost stationary. 

Lifts. — The ropes which lead from the end of the yards to the 
heads of their respective masts. 

Log and log line. — By which the ship's path is measured and 
her rate of going ascertained. 

Loom. — To appear larger than the real dimensions of an object. 

Luff. — The order to the steersman to put the helm towards the lee 
side of the ship in order to sail nearer to the wind. 

Make a board. — Is to run a certain distance upon one tack, in 
beating to windward. 

Man the yards. — Is placing men on the yards, in the tops, on the 
ladder, &c. to execute any necessary duty. 

Mind the service. — Put on more service. 

Messenger. — A small kind of cable, which being brought to the 
capstan and the cable by which the ship rides made fast to 
it, it purchases the anchor. 
To miss stays. — A ship is said to miss stays when her head will 
not fly up in the direction of the wind, in order to get her on 
the other tack 

Mizzenmast. — The mast which stands abaft. 

Moor. — To secure a ship with two anchors. 

Narrows. — A small passage between two lands. 

Near! or, No near! — An order to the steersman not to keep the 
ship so close to the wind. 

Nippers. — A certain piece of cordage used to fasten the messenger 
to the cable in heaving up the anchor. 

Nothing off. — A term used by the man at the cun to the steers- 
man, directing him not to go from the wind. 



16 NAUTICAL VOCABULARY. 

Off and on. — When a ship is beating to windward so that by- 
one board she approaches to the shore, and by the other 

stands out to sea. 
Offing. — To seaward from the land. 
On the bow. — Before the beam inclining toward the stem of the 

ship. 
On the quarter. — Abaft the beam towards the stern of the ship. 
Orlop. — The deck on which the cables are stowed. 
Overhaul. — To clear away and disentangle any rope j also to come 

up with the chase. 
Out of trim. — The state of a ship when she is not properly balanced 

for the purpose of navigation. 
Parcel a rope. — Is to put a quantity of old canvas upon it before 

the service is put on. 
Parting. — Being driven from the anchors by the breaking of the 

cable. 
Pawl. — A short bar of wood or iron fixed close the capstan or 

windlass of a ship, to prevent those engines from rolling back, 

or giving way, when they are charged with any great effort. 
To pay away. — To slacken a cable or other rope so as to let it run 

Out for some particular purpose. 
Peak, to ride a stay peak. — Is when a cable and fore stay form a line. 
Pennant. — A long narrow flag worn at the mast-head by ships of 

the navy. 
Pitching. — The movement of a ship, by which she plunges her 

head and after part alternately into the hollow of the sea. 
Point blank. — The direction of a gun when levelled horizontally. 
Poop. — The highest and aftermost deck of a ship. 
Pooping, — The shock of a high and heavy sea upon the stern or 

quarter of a ship, when she scuds before the wind in a tem- 
pest. 
Port. — A name given on some occasions to the larboard side of 

the ship 
Ports. — The holes in the ship's sides from which the guns are fired. 
Press of sail. — All the sail that a ship can set or carry. 
Preventer. — An additional rope employed to support any other in 

a heavy strain. 
Purchase. — Any sort of mechanical power employed in raising or 

moving heavy bodies. 
Quarters. — The respective stations of the officers and people in 

time of action. 
Quarter wind. — Is when the wind blows from that part of the 

horizon situated on the quarter of the ship. 
Rake. — That is to cannonade a ship at the head or stern so that 

the balls scour the whole length of the decks. 
Range of cable. — A sufficient length of cable drawn upon deck 

before the anchor is cast loose. 



NAUTICAL VOCABULARY. 17 

Ratlines. — Small ropes fastened from shroud to shroud, forming a 

ladder to go aloft. 
Ready about. — Implies that all the hands are to be attentive and 

at their stations for tacking. 
Reef. — Part of a sail from one row of eyelet holes to another. 
Reefing. — The operation of reducing a sail by taking in one or 

more of the reefs. 
Ribs of a ship. — A figurative expression for timbers. 
Ride at anchor. — Is when a ship is held by her anchors, and is not 

driven by wind or tide. 
Righting. — Restoring a ship to an upright position. 
Right the helm. — Is to bring it into midships, after it has been 

pushed either to starboard or larboard. 
Rigging out a boom. — The running out a pole at the end of a 

yard to extend the foot of a sail. 
Road. — A place near the land where ships may anchor, but 

which is not sheltered. 
Rounding in. — The pulling upon any rope which passes through 

one or more blocks in a direction nearly horizontal. 
Rousing. — Pulling up a cable or rope without the assistance of 

tackles. 
Rudder. — The machine by which the ship is steered. 
Rowlock.— The notch in a boat's gunwale, in which the oars rest 

in rowing. 
Run. — The after part of a ship where it gets extremely narrow 

near the stern post. 
Run out a warp. — To carry the end of a rope out from a ship in a 

boat, and fasten it to some distant object, so that by it the ship 

may be moved by pulling on it. 
Sailing trim. — Is expressed of a ship, when in the best state for 

sailing. 
Scud. — To go right before the wind. 
Sea-boat. — A vessel that bears the sea firmly. 
Sea-room. — A sufficient distance from the coast, or any dangerous 

rocks, &c. 
Set sail. — To unfurl and expand the sails to the wind. 
Shape a course. — To direct or appoint the track of a ship, in order 

to prosecute a voyage. 
Sheer off. — That is to remove to a greater distance. 
Sheers. — Are spars lashed together and raised up for the purpose 

of getting out or in a mast. 
Sheet home. — To haul the corners of the sail to the blocks on the 

yard-arm by means of a rope. 
Ship-shape, — In a seaman-likemanner. 
Shoot ahead. — To advance forward. 
Shrouds. — Large ropes extending from the mast-heads to the right 

and left sides of a ship, to support the masts and enable them 

to carry sail. 



18 NAUTICAL VOCABULARY. 

Slip the cable. — That is let it run quite out, when there is not time 

to weigh the anchor. 
Sound. — To try the depth of water. 
Splice. — To make two ends of rope fast together by untwisting 

them and then entwining the strands of one piece with the 

strands of the other. 
Spray. — The sprinkling of a sea. 
Spring-a-m'ast. — Is to crack a mast, yard, &c. by means of a 

heavy strain. 
Squall. — A sudden violent blast of wind. 
Square. — Is applied to yards that are very long, as taunt is to high 

masts. 
Square the yards. — To brace the yards so that they may hang at 

right angles with the hull. 
Starboard. — The right hand side of a ship when looking forward. 
To stay a ship. — To arrange the sails and move the rudder so as to 

bring the ship's head in the direction of the wind in order to 

get her on the other tack. 
Steady. — The order to the helmsman to keep the ship the direction 

she is going at that instant. 
Stem. — A circular piece of timber into which the two sides of a 

ship are united at the fore-end. 
Stem the tide?— Is sailing against the tide so as to overcome its 

power. 
Sternmost. — The farthest astern. 
Stemway. — The motion by which a ship falls back with her stern 

foremost. 
Stoppers. — A large kind of rope to secure the cable abaft the bitts. 
Stranded. — When applied to a vessel means that she is run 

aground and is lost. 
Stream the buoy. — To throw the buoy into the water previous to 

casting anchor. 
Strike soundings. — To touch the ground in endeavouring to find 

the depth of water in a harbour or road . 
Sweeping. — To drag the bight of a rope on the bottom in order to 

obtain an anchor or any thing that may be lost. 
Taffrail. — The uppermost part of a ship's stern. 
Tompion. — The bung or piece of wood, by which the mouth of a 

cannon is filled to keep out wet. 
Taut. — Improperly though very generally used for tight. 
Tier. — A row of guns or any thing else. 
Tiller. — A large piece of wood or beam, inserted into the head of a 

rudder, and by mea&s of which the rudder is moved. 
Traverse. — To go backwards and forwards. 
Trice, trice up. — To haul up and fasten. 
Trip the anchor. — To loosen the anchor from the ground. 
Trough of the sea. — The hollow between two waves. 



NAUTICAL VOCABULARY. 19 

Truck. — A round piece of wood put on the tops of flag-staffs. 

Trysail. — A small sail used in blustering weather. 

Unbend. — To take the sails off from their yards and stays. 

Unbitt. — To remove the cable from off the bitts. 

Under way. — When a ship is sailing she is said to be under way. 

Unfurl. — To unloose. 

Unrig. — To deprive a ship of her rigging. 

Veer or wear the ship. — To change a ship's course, from one tack 

to the other. 
Veer away. — To let a rope or cable run out. 
Wake. — The path or track impressed on the water by the ship 

passing through it. 
Wales. — Are strong timbers that go round a ship, a little above 

her water-line. 
Waist. — That part of a ship contained between the quarter deck 

and forecastle. 
Water-line. — The line made by the water's edge when a ship has 

her full proportion of stores, &c. on board. 
Water-borne. — The state of a ship when there is hardly sufficient 

depth of water to float her off from the ground. 
Water-logged. — The state of a ship when heavy and inactive on 

the sea, from the great quantity of water leaked into her. 
Water-tight. — The state of a ship when not leaky. 
Weather.- — To weather anything is to get to windward of it. 
Weather-beaten. — Shattered by a storm. 
Wind a ship. — To change her position, bringing her head where 

her stern was. 
Wind's-eye. — The point from which the wind blows. 
To work a ship. — To direct the movements of a ship by adapting 

the sails and managing the rudder according to the course she 

has to make. 
To work to windward. — To make a progress against the direction 

of the wind. 
Woold. — To bind round with ropes. 
Yards. — The spars upon which the sails are spread. 
Yawing. — The motion of a ship when she deviates from her course 

to right or left. 



LI. E ON THE CEAN. 



CHAPTER I. 

^URTH AND PARENTAGE EARLY DESIRE FOR THE LIFE OF A 

SAILOR. 

I was born in Roxbury in the State of Massachusetts, 
September 13th, a. d. 1792. My father being attached 
to the navy of the United States, and necessarily absent 
from home during much of his time, induced my pa- 
rents to relinquish the cares of housekeeping — and my 
mother preferring to reside with a brother who lived 
on the confines of Canada, it was concluded to place 
an elder sister and myself with a maternal uncle in 
Roxbury, for the purpose of receiving an education at 
the schools in that place, which were then in the highest 
repute. This family was attached to the Presbyterian 
congregation in that town; and accordingly a strict 
observance of the Sabbath, as well as a systematic read- 
ing of the Scriptures, were early enjoined upon us. 
They adhered blamelessly to all the outward forms 
of that church, and the most perfect regularity was 
observed, not only with every thing connected with 
their religious worship, but also in the management 
of their household affairs. No perceptible difference 
3 



22 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

was observed in their conduct towards us, and their 
own children. Habits of industry were inculcated upon 
all, and the precept "be independent of all," was often 
repeated, and became so thoroughly engrafted, as to be a 
kind of fixed principle in after life. At the age of nine 
years, I was placed at the Roxbury Grammar School to 
receive an English education ; an institution as before 
stated, considered to be at that period among the best in 
the State. Here I made considerable progress in the ele- 
mentary branches, and can even now distinctly recollect 
the ambitious aspirations ivhich actuated me, and by 
which I was incited to diligence in the acquisition of 
knowledge. This disposition was, however, in a great 
degree engendered by the wholesome advice received 
from my relations, and by the custom of devoting a 
portion of time every day to manual labour, which was 
greatly beneficial, not only in establishing habits of 
industry, but also in laying the foundation of a firm and 
vigorous constitution. Two years had now elapsed, 
and I had rapidly progressed in my studies, when my 
mind first became agitated with reflections on my future 
course in life, and schemes of worldly prosperity and 
distinction suggested themselves to my imagination. 
Often when my father visited me on his return from 
sea, would he pourtray in glowing colours the scenes 
he had witnessed in foreign lands, and then recite the 
wonders of a sea-faring life ; but when he found that 
enthusiasm awakened, which such descriptions are so 
well calculated to excite in a youthful bosom, with 
parental tact and with a master-hand, he would throw 
a sombre aspect over the whole picture, to smother 
every predilection which I may have entertained for 
such a calling, would then recount the perils and 
privations of an ocean life. But his efforts were fruit- 
less; my partiality for the sea "grew with my growth, . 
and strengthened with my strength." My young imagi- 
nation was often wound up to the highest pitch of 
excitement at the idea of exploring the trackless ocean ; 
and to me the prospect of treading the quarter deck, as 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 23 

the ruling spirit of some stately craft, seemed the very 
acme of ail earthly felicity and ambition. The oppor- 
tunities which I enjoyed of boarding vessels and con- 
versing with seamen, whom I regarded as the finest 
fellows in the world, by no means tended to abate my 
enthusiasm ; notwithstanding every species of dissuasion 
was resorted to, in consequence of the repugnance of 
my father to the encouragement and gratification of my 
wishes. And here I cannot forbear relating a circum- 
stance, which in a great measure established the deter- 
mination I had formed of following the sea. 

There was living at this time in the family in the 
capacity of gardener, a superannuated sailor, a distant 
relative of my uncle, and it was to me a source of the 
highest gratification, to sit in the evenings beside this 
old man, and hear him relate with that quaintness of 
narration peculiar to his profession, the wonderful stories 
of his voyages, his adventures in foreign lands, and the 
many thrilling incidents which abound in the jovial life 
of a sailor. After adroitly contrasting this continued 
novelty, and these varied scenes, with the dull mono- 
tony of a life spent on shore in any occupation, he 
would conclude with an ejaculation which operated 
as a death-blow to all the dissuasive arguments urged 
by my relatives. "Oh, if I had twenty sons," said he, 
"I would make them all seamen." Perhaps there is no 
condition in life in which old age so strongly exerts the 
influence it so deservedly possesses, as that of an in- 
dividual whose fortunes have been cast amid the perils 
and privations of a "life on the ocean wave ;" and 
when we find it aided by that garrulity which so often 
accompanies gray hairs in this profession, we are not to 
marvel that the exercise of its powers on a youthful 
imagination, should more than suffice to awaken its 
highest enthusiasm. 

The stories of this old man were my constant com- 
panions by day and the unchanging subjects of my 
nightly dreams. Often a single night would witness 
the magical performance of an ordinary twelve months' 



24 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

voyage. Cloud-capt mountains, stately spires and gor- 
geous palaces would now bound the prospect before me ; 
now I would find myself wandering in the midst of 
some great metropolis, lost in admiration at the greater 
than oriental splendour around me, and again by that 
mysterious influence which all have felt and none can 
unravel, I would be angrily tossed in the midst of an 
awful hurricane upon the heaving bosom of the deep; 
thus experiencing in the short space of a few uncon- 
scious moments, the delightful emotions arising from 
the most exquisite enjoyment, to be followed by that 
intense and overpowering agony, with which we con- 
template sqme dreadful and impending calamity. Time 
glided on ; my inclination in favour of the sea was un- 
changed, and despite the opposition of my father and 
uncle, my determination had become unalterably fixed 
to abide its toils and dangers. 

The fourth year of my schooling had expired, and as 
I was considered competent to act as a clerk, I was 

placed in the store of a merchant at K , a relative 

of the family, and with whom my uncle was upon terms 
of the closest intimacy. This was to me a source of 
keen disappointment : I saw at once that all the fairy 
schemes which had so long dazzled and delighted 
me, and excited such brilliant hopes of future success, 
were utterly frustrated ; and it was only by the earnest 
persuasion and efforts of my friends, that I at length 
became partially reconciled. Accordingly a day was 
fixed for my departure, previously to which, I re- 
ceived much admonitory counsel from my good old 
relative. Time with its ever withering influences, has 
not erased from my memory, the solemnity of his manner, 
when, the day before my departure, he drew me aside 
and said, "George, you are now about to enter upon the 
world, and will soon be far beyond the control and 
friendly advice of those who love you. You will be 
thrown upon your own resources, and it will depend 
much upon yourself what your future condition in life 
may be ;" and, then with great earnestness, he continued, 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 25 

"first read your Bible and be obedient to its precepts and 
commandments ; it will teach you your duty towards 
God, your fellow-men, and yourself; be honest and in- 
dustrious, respect the rights of others, study the interests 
of your employer, and endeavour to become a thorough 
master of your business." During this recital I saw the 
big tear stealing down the furrowed cheek of the old 
man, whilst I myself wept immoderately and promised 
implicit obedience to his injunctions. 

The hour for my departure at length arrived, and the 
family having been assembled to exchange with me the 
last adieu, the sound of "God bless you," rung in my 
ears, and we drove rapidly away from the old family 
mansion. In two days we completed our journey, and 
arrived at K , New Hampshire. This town is situa- 
ted thirty leagues north-east of Boston, about twelve miles 
from the Connecticut River, and nearly the same distance 
from the famous Bellows Falls. It was a place of con- 
siderable importance, numbering about two thousand in- 
habitants at that period, and the borough town of the 
county, through which lay the direct route to the sea- 
board from the upper part of the State, as well as from 
Vermont. Here I was kindly received by the family 
of Mr. D. and immediately entered upon the duties 
of my new station, as clerk of a country store. My 
attention now became so much engrossed with the 
business of store-keeping that my strong propensity for 
the sea in a measure wore off; nevertheless, six months 
had not elapsed — such was the monotony of country life, 
and such especially the dull uniformity of country store- 
keeping — that I grew exceedingly weary, and again 
longed for the noise and bustle of the seaport. My old 
nautical propensities were re-awakened ; I again yearned 
for the opportunities I formerly enjoyed, of visiting the 
shipping, and mingling in the varied amusements of a 
commercial city ; and at length, became so negligent in 
the performance of my duties, as to incur the strong dis- 
pleasure of Mr. D., by whom, I feel it but justice to say, 
that every indulgence was granted me, and nothing left 
3* 



26 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

undone on the part either of his family or himself, to 
render my situation agreeable. 1 at length plainly 
acknowledged to him that my present occupation was 
not at all congenial to my feelings, and requested him to 
write to my relatives in Roxbury, that a situation might 
be procured for me in Boston. This was accordingly 
done, my request was complied with by my uncle, and 
although I felt regret at leaving the hospitable roof and 
amiable family of Mr. D., yet my contemplated residence 
in Boston, afforded me great delight, and it was with 
more of rejoicing than otherwise, that I bade a final 

adieu to the pleasant town of K . 

I had been fourteen months absent from my uncle's 
mansion, when I again entered it with a feeling of fore- 
boding, that my reception would not be so cordial as it 
was wont to be. The result proved that my apprehen- 
sions were not groundless. It so happened that my 
uncle was the first person I met, who in rather a caustic 
manner said, "George, you have not done well, you 
have left a good business, and a kind master, and I am 
very fearful, although I have procured you a good situa- 
tion in Boston, that your strong inclination for a sea- 
faring life, will lead you to the commission of another 
act similar to this." I promised him that I would en- 
deavour to subdue my inclinations in that respect, and 
without delay entered upon my duties as a clerk in the 
counting-house of Messrs. B. & J. W. importing mer- 
chants. Here, certainly, a desirable opportunity was 
presented of advancing my fortunes, and could I have 
remained contented to complete my term of service with 
these gentlemen, 1 should in all probability, at this 
time, in common with my fellow-clerks, be engaged in 
mercantile transactions. Time glided on, my career was 
smooth and promising, and according to the assurances 
I had given my uncle, I endeavoured by sedulous at- 
tention, to fix my mind to the business in which I was 
engaged, although possessing no very strong relish for 
the incessant drudgery of an under clerk. About this 
time, however, a circumstance occurred which again 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 27 

unsettled my mind, uprooted the stern resolves I had 
formed, and completely ^changed the whole current of 
my fortunes. 

The ship Dromo, Capt. W. was fitting out for an ex- 
pedition to the Pacific Ocean, and eighty men were 
required as her complement, thirty of whom were to be 
green hands. Several young men with whom I was 
acquainted had engaged to embark in it, and every per- 
suasion was used to induce me to accompany them. 
But little entreaty was necessary to gain my acquiescence 
in this measure, and as pretext was soon formed to jus- 
tify me in leaving the employment of the Messrs. W. 
the object was speedily accomplished. Although this 
step met the decided disapproval of my relations, no ob- 
stacle now prevented me from reducing to practice my 
long cherished and ardent desire for the sea ; and ac- 
cordingly I visited the ship with two young friends 
who had already engaged in the expedition, and was 
introduced to Capt. W. to whom I immediately made 
known my wishes. With great kindness of manner, he 
inquired of me, who my friends were, and whether I 
had taken this step with their approbation. I frankly 
apprised him of my former situation, and the strong pro- 
pensity I had indulged in. "Young man," he replied, 
"you have chosen a life full of toil and hazard, and as 
this voyage will perhaps be one of great peril, it would 
be well for you to reflect maturely upon the measure you 
are about to adopt; consult your friends, and if you are 
still determined to go to sea, come on board to-morrow 
and I will give you an answer. This advice was impli- 
citly followed; I conferred with my friends upon the 
subject, and as they deemed it no longer advisable to 
thwart me in my inclination, I repaired the next day on 
board the ship, stated to Capt. W. that I had complied 
with his suggestion, and that the result was a settled 
determination to go with him. He immediately con- 
sented to give me a berth and I signed the ship's articles, 
November 20th, 1807. The voyage as specified in the 
articles, was to the North-west coast of America, from 



2S LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

thence to China, and back to the United States. But 
rumour with great plausibility represented the design 
of the expedition was to force a trade in the Spanish 
ports of the Western Continent, then declared illegal 
except for Spanish vessels ; which was rather confirmed 
from the fact of the ship mounting twenty-six guns, 
with a complement of one hundred men. As the vessel 
was expected to sail in about fifteen days, the first officer, 
Mr. L. eyeing me askant, remarked, "my lad, you had 
better go on shore and exchange your long togs for a 
sailor's rig, and come on board that you may get used to 
the ship before she goes to sea." 

I was now satisfied. The brilliant hopes upon which 
my imagination had so long feasted seemed at last 
to be attained. A career of dazzling adventure was 
before me. It was one of my*own choice and seeking, 
despite the anxious entreaties and untiring efforts of my 
friends to change it ; and whether these sanguine expec- 
tations have been fulfilled, in the twenty long years 
of toil and suffering through which I have struggled, I 
will leave the reader in the sequel to judge. 






CHAPTER II. 

GOING ON BOARD DESCRIPTION OF SHIP AND CHARACTER OF 

THE OFFICERS OBSERVATIONS UPON GREEN HANDS GETTING 

UNDER WEIGH FIRST NIGHT AT SEA GALE, &C. 

The day appointed for sailing was the 5th of Decem- 
ber. In the meantime I provided myself with a sea- 
chest, well stored with clothing, small stores, a quadrant, 
books, &c, together with a small adventure. Whilst 
getting our chests on board, we were saluted with 
the following harangue by the second officer, Mr. C. 
"What ! transmogrified, eh !" for we had doffed our long 
clothes and were rigged in complete sailor suits ; "you 
are a couple of tight little chaps with pretty smooth faces 
for old Neptune's scraper," and casting a significant 
glance at our chests, said, "you have two very pretty 
coffins there ; well, we shall know where to come for 
plank, if our bulwarks are stove in off Cape Horn ; but 
bear-a-hand and get your dunnage stowed away, for if 
the owner should pass this way he'll make you pay 
freight on your bandboxes." Thus saying he turned 
upon his heel and left us, while we quickly stowed 
away our chests in the forecastle, and selected our 
berths. As we were in the act of going on shore we 
were again accosted by Mr. C. "What, young lads," 
said he "off again, hark-ye, this ship hauls in the stream 
to-morrow, and mind, all hands are to be on board when 
she is ready to go ; if you are among the missing at that 
time, you will be, very apt to have your memories 
freshened during the cruise." The tone and manner 
of the latter part of this address made a very sensible 
impression on my mind, and as we determined to profit 
by this, friendly hint, we took especial care to be on 
board early the next day. 



30 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

About three o'clock in the afternoon, the greater part 
of the crew being on board, preparations were made to 
haul into the stream. Various orders were given in quick 
succession, and as one half of these were to me unintel- 
ligible, it was a source of consolation to know that there 
were many on board in a similar predicament. The 
boats were now ordered to go ahead' with the tow-line, 
the fasts were cast off, a range of cable overhauled, 
and the anchor got off the bows, ready to be let go. 
These last two items of duty are always performed when 
a ship is about to come to an anchor. Twenty or thirty 
fathoms of the cable, according to the depth of water, 
are generally hauled upon deck, and the parts over- 
hauled round the windlass, so that there may be no 
impediment when the anchor is let go ; and when the 
anchor is clear the bows, it is suspended by a single rope, 
so that when the ship gets to her anchorage and the 
order is given to "let go," all may be clear, and the ship 
brought to in her proper berth. It being quite calm we 
were quickly towed from the wharf to the anchorage ; 
and it was a little curious to witness the pride and 
anxiety of the officers to make the ship look well. This 
was done by hauling every rope taught, and squaring 
the yards with the lifts and braces, at the command 
of the second officer, who went in a boat some distance 
around the ship. It may here be remarked, that a good 
seaman takes just as much pride in the appearance of 
his vessel as a lady does in that of her drawing-room ; 
and no surer indication of an officer's nautical skill is 
wanting to the practised eye of a sailor, than the 
appearance of his ship while lying at anchor in port. 
After every thing was put in "ship-shape" order, as a 
sailor would say, the anchor watches were set with four 
men in each, to be relieved every two hours. It is not 
usual however in merchant vessels, to have more than 
two men in an anchor watch, but as we had a large crew 
the number was increased. The watches were so regu- 
lated as to have two able seaman and two green* hands 
in each. By this time the crew were all on board with 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 31 

the exception of the captain and surgeon, and as the 
ship was to go to sea the next day, we expected them 
off at daylight. Eight bells were now struck, and the 
first anchor watch being called, took their stations two 
aft and two forward. Being one of this number, I 
heard the order given by the pilot to the watch, to let 
him know if any change of wind, or weather took place 
during the night, and especially to call him at 4 o'clock. 
Very soon a profound silence reigned throughout the 
ship, and I was left to my own reflections. The bustle 
of the day, had prevented me from noting the change of 
life that I had voluntarily chosen ; and now that all was 
hushed into repose, the contrast brought to mind, I found 
that I was about to leave friends, and all the social com- 
forts of home, to mix with a society of men, who, as I had 
heard, were of the very worst habits and character, and 
confine myself to the narrow limits of a ship's deck for 
months. And then again the equivocal humour of the 
second officer came forcibly to my recollection, which 
gave me reason to believe that I should not pass a very 
pleasant time with him during this cruise. But it was 
now too late to think of retreating from my position, and 
besides pride and ambition came to my aid, and I re- 
solved to do the best I could, and follow out the bent of 
my inclination. The night was calm throughout, and 
with the exception of my watch on deck, I slept soundly 
until roused by the shrill whistle and hoarse cry of the 
boatswain, "all hands a-hoy !" when we were soon on 
deck. But as it was entirely calm and the captain and 
surgeon were not yet on board, of course we did not get 
under weigh ; the usual routine of work then com- 
menced, such as rigging the head pump, washing down 
the decks and sides of the ship, swabbing, &c. This 
latter was a duty wholly consigned to the green hands, 
and consequently I had my share of it. To make this 
evolution intelligible to my readers I may state, that it is 
the same operation that a woman performs after she has 
scrubbed the floor, wiping it dry with a cloth, the only 
point of difference is that it is done on board of a ship 



32 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

with a bundle of rope-yarns tied snugly together, with 
a piece of rope in the end for a handle. 

The weather still remaining calm, the ship's company 
were employed in the necessary work of a ship previously 
to her going to sea, such as getting studding-sail-booms 
on the yards, reeving the geer, and seizing on the 
chafing mats, &c. &c. About mid-day the captain and 
surgeon came on board, and it may not be amiss in this 
place to make the reader acquainted with the ship and 
her. crew. 

The ship then was about six hundred tons burthen, 
completely fitted out for a long voyage, one hundred 
and eight souls composed her crew, eighteen of whom 
were officers, sixty able seamen, and thirty green hands ; 
mounting twenty-six guns, nine and twelve pounds 
calibre. Capt. W". was about fifty years of age, stout 
and robust, moral in his deportment, with great urbanity 
and mildness of manners, and of high repute in his pro- 
fession. Indeed he appeared to be more like the father 
of a family on board of his ship than one who has the 
right to exercise supreme command. During the whole 
voyage he was in all respects a cool and intrepid com- 
mander, as well as an honourable and feeling man. 
The chief officer, Mr. L , was a man of some intelli- 
gence, master of his profession, but very passionate and 
vindictive — he would make every man toe the mark, as 
the sailors used to say; he acted rather as a sailing- 
master, and great confidence was reposed in him by the 
captain. The second officer, Mr. C. of whom I have 
had occasion to speak, was as we might say of a dia- 
mond, a salt of the first water. He was of low stature, 
thick, and strongly built, had a face which looked as if 
it had been pelted by many a storm, with a strong mus- 
cular arm, and a fist which might strike a blow equal to 
that of a sledge-hammer ; he was about forty-five years 
of age, with a constitution that had not yielded to the 
hardships of a sailor's life, and as the sailors used to say, 
he was as good a seaman, as evef took marlin spike in 
hand. The third officer, Mr. K. about twenty-six years 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 33 

of age, had served a regular apprenticeship to the sea, 
and was an active seaman, rather intelligent, but exceed- 
ingly jealous of his authority, and used it on every occa- 
sion ; although he was obsequious to the last degree, to 
his superior officers. Such then were the officers under 
whom I was destined to serve for three long years. 

The first day wore away, without any material change 
in the weather, consequently we had to lie still; after 
supper all hands crowded below into the two forecas- 
tles, separated only by a partition grating; having but one 
entrance to both apartments from the deck. And now 
I had an opportunity of becoming acquainted with some 
of the peculiar habits of seamen, for while some were 
singing songs, others were "spinning long yarns," as 
they called them — there were others sitting round a 
bottle of rum drinking healths to sweethearts and 
wives ; while in one corner might be seen a group of 
men, listening with profound attention to the super- 
stitious tales of an old salt. "Jack," said a sailor, to one 
of the men who sat near me, who, as I afterwards 
learned was an old man-of-war's -man, "what are we 
going to do with all them shooting-irons, on the North- 
west Coast." "Hark-ye Bill," said Jack, "you are a 
soft tommy, do you think them copper-coloured gentle- 
men are going to wear them silk stockings, and all that 
fine rigging, we hoisted in the other day ? No, no," said 
he, rolling his quid over to the other side, and looking 
very knowingly at Bill, "I will bet you a week's grog, 
that all them fine things are for the ladies of the Spanish 
Don, yonder, and them there shooting-irons are just to 
beat off the Spanish cruisers." Just then eight bells 
were struck, anchor watch called, and the same orders 
were given as on the previous night ; and presently I 
heard a strange exclamation from the boatswain, of 
"dowse the glim there below," which is the technical 
expression for putting out the light. We were roused 
at daylight next morning by the same shrill whistle, 
and the cry of "all hands, up anchor a-hoy." The wind 
had sprung up lightly from the northward, and we 
4 



34 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

commenced the work of getting under way ; not as is 
usual in merchant vessels, by heaving the anchor up 
with the windlass, but by the capstan. This is per- 
formed by the use of a rope, which is called a messenger, 
one end of which, the standing part, is made fast to 
a ring-bolt, or some other secure place ; the other end 
being rove through a block which is made fast to the 
cable, and then taken to the capstan, and in this way 
the anchor is hove up more expeditiously. The sails 
were now loosed and quickly set, the yards braced so 
as to cant the ship to port ; and we were soon under 
way, with top-gallantsails set, standing down Boston 
Bay, and bidding adieu to my native land. I sighed 
and turned away, and at the same moment heard the 
pilot call out to loose the royals. On board of merchant 
vessels loosing and furling the light sails is the duty of 
the boys ; so I sprung into the mizzen rigging, and got 
on the royal yard, loosed the sail, which was quickly 
set ; this was my first feat of seamanship, and 1 felt no 
little pride after it was accomplished. 

The wind continuing light, we set studding-sails 
alow and aloft, but as we approached Nantasket Roads, 
the wind hauled round to the eastward, and we came 
to an anchor at 3 p. m. and took this opportunity to 
house the guns, which means running them in board 
and placing them fore and aft, and securing them, as 
well as the long boat, spars, &c. &c. At 6 p. m. all 
hands were summoned aft, the watches were chosen, 
and the men stationed. On board of a ship the crew is 
equally divided into two watches, which by way of 
distinction, are called the starboard and larboard watches ; 
each watch serving four hours, excepting from 4 to 8 
p. m. this is divided into two watches called by sailors 
the dog watch. The starboard watch fell to my lot, and 
here I was again with my old friend, the second officer 
Mr. C. After this was finished the Captain addressed 
the crew as follows — "now my men we are under way 
for a long, and perhaps a perilous voyage, and I expect 
every man on board will obey the discipline of this 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 35 

ship, by conducting himself with proper respect toward 
the officers, and do his duty." Then addressing himself 
particularly to the old sailors, said, "I cannot allow you 
to take advantage, or impose upon the boys ; for they 
have come on board this ship without any pretensions 
to seamanship, and are as green as you were before them." 
And turning to the lads, he said, "be obedient, endea- 
vour to become good seamen, and if there are any who 
desire to learn navigation, the gentlemen aft will instruct 
you, and you have permission to come aft in your watch 
below whenever the weather will permit," and raising 
his voice said, "you are to have watch and watch, and 
it will be your own fault if that regulation is altered 
during the voyage." 

December 7, 1807. — Early the next morning the wind 
hauled to the west- north -west, and we got under way, 
made sail, and stretched out to sea. The wind being 
moderate and the sea smooth, we made but slow 
progress. At meridian, Cape Cod light-house bore 
south by east, distant 15 miles. At 4 p. m. the land 
disappeared, having sunk in the distance. The ship 
having as yet but little motion, I felt nothing of the so 
much dreaded sea-sickness, but at 6 o'clock the wind 
freshened and obliged us to take in our light sails, and 
presently the sea rose, and the increased motion of the 
ship put to flight all my hopes of escaping the usual lot 
of a green hand, for I now began to feel an unusual 
disturbance about the region of the stomach. 

At 8 p. m. the wind had increased to a moderate gale, 
which caused us to take in the top-gallantsails, and 
double reef the topsails. As before stated, 1 was chosen 
in the starboard watch with the second officer, Mr. C. 
and as it was our first watch on deck, viz. from 8 
o'clock to midnight, I of course was among the num- 
ber. Not feeling very pleasantly, I was scarcely able 
to keep my feet from the violent motion of the ship. 
An order at this time was given to brace the yards ; 
hurrying aft I had reached as far as the companion, 
when with a sudden roll of the ship I lost my equili- 



36 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

brium, the concussion of the fall made me discharge the 
whole contents of my stomach on the weather side of 
the quarter deck. This was a mortal offence, especially 
as sailors are not allowed to go to the weather side of 
the quarter deck at sea. "Hallo," cried Mr. C. "lost your 
sea-legs, hey? recollect sir, there is nothing hove on the 
weather side but hot water and ashes ; away forward 
and get a swab." This being done in a bungling way 
he took hold of me by the arm, not in a very pleasant 
mood, and led me to the main rigging; there placing the 
end of the reef-tack in my hand, a two and a half inch 
rope, said, "there sir, if you don't know the names of all 
these ropes by the time the watch is up, I will give you 
the end of this on your back." If his former harangue, 
when I was getting my chest on board, made a sensible 
impression, this last threat made a much deeper one, for 
I not only knew the names of the ropes by the time 
specified, but the sickness left me in about an hour, and 
after that time I was never troubled with it again- 



CHAPTER III. 

CONTINUANCE OF THE GALE SUPERSTITION OF SAILORS SUN- 
RISE AT SEA CROSSING THE LINE, &C. 

At midnight the larboard or chief mate's watch was 
called, and the starboard watch ordered below. The wind 
continued to increase until it blew a strong gale which 
obliged us to close reef the topsails, the ship bounding 
furiously through the water, the sea dashing against the 
bows made a noise like a roaring cataract ; so that what 
with sickness of the green hands, the oaths and impre- 
cations of the sailors, and the noise caused by the 
breaking of the water forward, together with the offen- 
sive smell of the bilge water, and the confined air of a 
ship's forecastle, sleep entirely forsook me during the 
whole four hours, and it was a great relief when I heard 
the boatswain's mate call the starboard watch. I soon 
made my appearance on deck, and the scene which 
presented itself, to my view was frightful and yet aw- 
fully grand. The ship was now scudding before the 
wind, with close reefed fore and main-topsails, and 
reefed foresail, in the gulf stream, at the rate of eleven 
miles per hour ; and the waves to my highly wrought 
imagination were running mountains high. 

I shall not easily forget my feelings when the officer 
of the deck ordered the royal yards to be sent down. It 
was with some difficulty I reached the after part of the 
ship, and attempted to get in the mizzen rigging, but the 
officer seeing my awkwardness and fearing lest I should 
tumble overboard, ordered me down. The yards were 
quickly sent down, and every thing made snug, and the 
usual work of the morning, such as washing decks, 
trimming sails, &c. performed. It may not be amiss to 
4# 



38 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

state in this place, that this ship differed from the gene- 
rality of merchant vessels, on account of her armament 
and large crew, the men were all regularly stationed as 
on board of a man-of-war. There were the after-guard, 
waisters, forecastle-men, and topmen ; and never unless 
on some very extraordinary occasion, were all hands 
called. This is not the case with merchantmen in 
general, for on every occasion to reef, or take in sail, or 
any other extra duty all the ship's company must be 
at work ; and I have known on board of some ships, 
all hands to be called half a dozen times in a watch. 
Seven bells were now struck, the larboard watch was 
called, and the boatswain piped to breakfast. This was 
not a very comfortable meal, for I had not fairly got my 
sea-legs on, and did not care to risk my head in going 
to the caboose, to get my tin pot of coffee. 

At 8 a. m. the sea became more regular, consequently 
the ship had less motion ; the watch below turned in 
while the larboard watch performed the duties of the 
ship. 

December 9. — The wind had now become more mode- 
rate, but as we were in the southern edge of the gulf 
stream, there was yet a heavy cross sea. Innumerable 
porpoises were scampering away towards the north-east 
like a herd of deer with a pack of hounds on their trail ; 
and I heard some of the men say, that we should be sure 
to have a blow from that quarter, for sailors have a sign 
in every thing, and no people in the world are more su- 
perstitiously inclined. I once heard an old seaman say 
that he belonged to a ship, in which during the previous 
voyage a man had been murdered , and he roundly af- 
firmed, that he saw the ghost of that man in the shape 
of a rat, come out of the forecastle, and go up the main- 
stay into the top ; and this was done he said every night 
at 12 o'clock precisely, and although the crew supposed 
they had killed it several times, yet the rat continued to 
go up the main-stay during the whole voyage. The 
north-east blow, however, as predicted by the course 
of the porpoises, did not come, for the wind continued to 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 



39 



blow from west-north-west until the 14th. The wea- 
ther now became passably fine, royal yards were sent 
aloft, and all the canvass spread on the ship. By this 
time I had become used to the motion of the ship, and 
as sailors say "had my sea-legs on ;" and as I had pretty 
well lined my ribs with salt beef, biscuits, and coffee, I 
not only became stronger, bat in much better spirits, and 
felt determined to acquire a knowledge of seamanship as 
speedily as possible. I therefore felt a degree of pride 
when I could get aloft first to loose or furl the light sails. 
The second officer I suppose having observed this, got 
me promoted from the after-guard to the mizzen-top. 
Nothing material transpired to interrupt the monotony 
of a sea life until the 17th, when I heard a cry from 
the main-topgallant yard of "sail ho !" This was a 
source of excitement to all hands, but of great delight 
to me, who had not as yet seen any other vessel in 
the wide ocean but our own. We descried her from the 
deck, standing across our larboard quarter to the west- 
ward, at too great a distance to speak. 

December 18th. — The wind hauled to the south-west 
with warm pleasant weather. Every one belonging to 
the watch on deck being variously employed, I could not 
help but remark how much I had been deceived, for I 
supposed that there would be no work on board of a ship 
after leaving port until her arrival at the place of destina- 
tion ; and consequently I thought sailors must have a 
fine time, with nothing to do but eat, drink, sleep, and 
look out. The very reverse however is the fact, for du- 
ring the three years' cruise, I never knew, except in bad 
weather, any man belonging to the watch on deck to 
spend an idle moment ; and it may well be said that a 
sailor's work, like a woman's, is never done ; and on 
long voyages particularly, when the crew have watch 
and watch, it seems to be necessary that they should be 
employed at work in their watch on deck, in order that 
their health may be preserved. 

December 2lst. — Nothing material occurred these last 
three days. This morning was my watch on deck, and 
the weather being perfectly clear, with a smooth sea, I 



40 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

had a delightful opportunity of beholding the sun rise 
at sea. This was a sight I had long coveted, because I 
had heard much about it, and although it has been said 
that the scene wants the accompanying beauties of the 
landscape, singing of birds, <fcc. yet to my mind, to 
behold the sun rising from beneath a well denned 
horizon, in majestic splendor, when there is not a cloud 
to be seen in the blue arched canopy of the heavens, 
while the eye ranges over the interminable waste of 
waters ; not only surpasses in beauty the rising of the 
sun on shore, but it also inspires the beholder with a 
feeling of the most profound awe and reverence in the 
contemplation of that Almighty Being, who has made 
and upholds all things by the word of his power. 

December 23. — The ship having now ran far enough 
to the eastward to make the north-east trade winds fair 
for crossing the equinoctial line, we were in a proper 
position so that when we took the south-east trade winds, 
we might be far enough to the eastward to weather away 
Cape St. Roque, and have plenty of sea room. Our 
position then was 30° north latitude and 38° west longi- 
tude, when we bore away to the southward, and in two 
days, that is on the 25th, we took the north-east trade 
winds in latitude 26° 40' N. The weather had now 
become steady, and the wind uniform, many of the young 
men on board, wrote up their journals from the ship's log- 
book, and were taught navigation as well as the use of 
the quadrant, by the first officer, Mr. L. 

It would have been a curious spectacle for any lands- 
man, as it was to me, to have seen the various employ- 
ment, which were now in operation. On one side of the 
deck the carpenter and his mates were building a boat ; 
on the other, the boatswain and his crew were laying up 
rope ; on the leeward side of the quarter deck the sail- 
maker and his gang were repairing and making light 
sails ; while the remaining part of the watch were knot- 
ting yarns, making sinnej;, wads, wad-bags, &c. Our 
ship by this time had become completely disciplined, 
the crew were divided into messes of six each, one of 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 41 

whom regularly drew every day the rations of provisions 
and water for the mess ; it being the duty of the officer 
of the watch to attend to the serving out of the provi- 
sions and water every morning, at which time a large 
cask which was called a scuttle-but, secured on deck, 
was filled up. 

Having now become somewhat acquainted with the 
details of a ship, as well as the duty of the officers, it 
may be proper to remark here, that the captain, in whom 
is vested supreme command and great power, stands no 
watch ; he navigates the ship and dispenses orders to 
the first officer, which are executed accordingly. He 
seldom gives an order to a sailor, and on board of this 
ship, the captain scarcely ever tacked the ship. This 
however is not the case with vessels of less burthen 
and a smaller crew, for it sometimes happens that the 
captain has to stand his watch and carry on the details 
of the ship. The duty of the first officer is to write the 
log-book, in which all the transactions and occurrences 
of the voyage are noted; he takes account of the cargo. 
and is accountable for loss, bad stowage, &c. The 
second officer keeps the captain's watch, stows the cargo 
in foreign ports, and has under his charge, when there 
is no boatswain, the spare rigging, blocks, marlinspikes, 
marling, spun-yarn, &c. 

The third officer on board of our ship, during a part 
of our voyage at least, was a kind of midshipman. 
Being in the first officer's watch, he generally passed 
the word, overlooked the men while at work, hove 
the log, &c. The log and line is that by which the 
ship's run is calculated, and was hove on board of our 
ship every hour, and marked on the slate, which is writ- 
ten off by the chief mate on the log-book each day at 
meridian, when the weather permits. 

We continued our run to the southward with a fine 
north-east trade wind, until the 30th, when I had an 
opportunity of seeing the officers take a lunar observa- 
tion, to determine the longitude, which was 31° west. 
This part of navigation I had a strong desire to learn 



42 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

and determined to make myself a lunarian ere the voy- 
age should close. 

As we were now approaching the equinoctial line, 
being in 12° north latitude, the wind became lighter, 
and I heard a faint buzzing among the old salts, about 
the visit of old Neptune to his children, which I then 
believed was no farce, until ocular demonstration con- 
vinced me, as will hereafter be shown. 

January 3d. — The wind now had become very light 
and variable, and the weather squally.- As we expect- 
ed to have much rain, preparations were made to fill 
up our water-casks, and in this we were not disappoint- 
ed, for on the morning of the 5th January, when in lati- 
tude 3° north, it commenced to rain at 8 o'clock, and 
did not cease, only at short intervals, the whole day, 
during which time we caught 2000 gallons of water. 
After this the wind on the 6th sprung up moderately 
from south-south-east, when we braced up our yards on 
the larboard tack, and as we expected to cross the line the 
next night, preparations were being made for the recep- 
tion of old Neptune ; such as dressing two of the 
oldest sailors to personate him and his wife ; throwing 
over a tar barrel on fire ; and hailing the sea-god from 
on board. 

All this buffoonery was performed after dark, and so 
managed as to be kept a secret from the green hands. 

And here I must not omit stating, that this foolery 
'was sanctioned by the captain and officers, very much 
to their mortification afterwards, as the scene of confu- 
sion which ensued, had like to have closed with a 
mutiny. On the next morning, the 8th, the play began ; 
the green hands were confined in the forecastle, one at a 
time being sent up blindfolded, who was then received by 
his majesty of the sea, and the operation of shaving 
commenced. 

The lather consisted of slush mixed with the dirty 
water of the grindstone tub ; the razor was a piece of 
old iron hoop ; the face being well besmeared with this 
lather, the work of shaving commenced, during which 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 43 

his majesty puts some interrogatories, such as, "Do you 
intend to become a member of my family and a faithful 
subject of my realm," &c. When the mouth is opened to 
give the answer, it is crammed full of odoriferous lather. 
This done, he is well scraped with the hoop and duck- 
ed with salt water and then let off to enjoy the remain- 
der of the farce. I recollect, when they were about to 
cram the delicious lather into my mouth, I struck the 
man who held it, and in the bustle the bandage fell 
from my eyes, and I discovered the whole trick. A scene 
of confusion here took place ; the green hands all sided 
together, and determined not to submit to the operation, 
and the old sailors attempting to force us to yield, a riot 
took place, which was not, without much difficulty, 
quelled by the officers. Order being at length restored 
and the crew having returned to their duty, all was 
soon forgotten. This day at meridian we were in 
20' south of the line, having crossed it in 29° west longi- 
tude, making the passage in twenty-eight days from 
Boston. 



CHAPTER IV. 

MOON RISE AT SEA — HEAVY SQUALLS — ROUNDING CAPE HORN — 
EXCURSION IN SEARCH OF WATER, &C. &C. 

January 10. — Saw this morning great numbers of boni- 
ta and albacora, round the ship, not unwelcome visitors, 
as many of the former, and some 6f the latter were 
taken, which gave all hands a fresh mess, always a 
great luxury to the salted stomach of a sailor, who is 
sometimes fifty or sixty days with salt beef one day and 
salt pork the next. In this ship, however, there was an 
exception, flour being served out to each mess every 
Sabbath day to make pudding, or as sailors call it "duff." 
The trade wind being fixed at south-east and the 
weather surpassingly fine, this favourable opportunity 
was taken for getting the small arms such as musketry, 
pistols, &c. in complete order, and in making cartridges, 
and as the boatswain had completed making a great 
quantity of ratling stuff, a boarding-netting was made 
out of the same, to go all the way round the ship. This* 
netting was ten feet in height, from the upper part of 
the bulwarks, and triced up to stancheons fitted for that 
purpose. Now every aspirant had a fine opportunity 
for improvement, as the officers were never backward 
in communicating a knowledge of seamanship and navi- 
gation ; of which, many of the young men took advan- 
tage. On one occasion when I was in the steerage, 
copying from the log-book into my journal a day's run, 
the second officer, Mr C. being present, to instruct, said 
to me, "young man, I favoured you while crossing the 
gulf stream, in that bit of a blow, for I was fearful that 
your body would get the better of your flippers, and 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 45 

you might tumble overboard. Since that time, the 
weather has been such, that a dozen old women might 
have worked the ship ; and after we cross these lati- 
tudes, and reach Cape Horn, we shall have work 
enough, and every man on board must do his duty. 
Now you have got your sea-tacks aboard, and your 
jacket well lined, I hope you have a good conscience ; 
for now-a-days most of the young chaps that go to sea 
are sent off by their friends, or run away from their 
masters, because they are so worthless and dissipated 
that nothing can be done with them on shore. These 
fellows never make sailors, for they are not fit for the 
land or sea, and are just such as give sailors a bad name. 
I hope you will not flinch from your duty, for some- 
times there are fearful mishaps off that stormy cape. I 
once," continued he, u was before the mast in a brig, 
bound round the Cape, when we were struck with one 
of those south-west hail squalls, while close reefing the 
main- topsail, when both topmasts went close by the 
cap, and three out of the six that were on the yard, 
were thrown overboard, and went to Davy Jones' locker. 
They were my messmates, and never flinched in their 
. duty." 1 discovered by the tone of his voice, that as 
we sometimes say, his heart was in his mouth, and if 
he had continued the recital his eye pumps would have 
given way. It may be proper to observe here, that 
although Mr. C. laid aside the distinction of the officer 
on these occasions when below, yet he never deviated 
from the strict discipline of the ship when on deck, for 
on those occasions I knew him only as Mr. C. second 
officer. 

January 15. — I had often heard the seamen on board 
speak of the uninterrupted course of the wind in these 
trades, and of the uniform good weather. I was now 
convinced, for during the la r * seven days the wind had 
not varied half a point, and the weather was uniformly 
good. On the night of the 16th, having the middle 
watch, while sitting in the mizzen-top — for the topmen 
were always in the tops in good weather, during their 
5 



46 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

watch — musing on the fond recollections of home, and 
the associations connected with it, I was roused from 
this reverie, to behold the moon rising with solemn 
grandeur in a cloudless sky. Nothing could be more 
impressive, for now a profound silence reigned through- 
out the ship, and nought was to be seen, save this pale 
queen of night, ascending to perform her rounds, with 
here and there a brilliant gem, that decked the azure 
vault ; and the wide spread ocean which seemed almost 
boundless as infinity, and the bark now floating o'er 
the blue wave. All this brought forcibly to my recol- 
lection, the reflections of David, as portrayed in the 
inimitable psalm : "When I consider thy Heavens the 
work of thy fingers, the moon and stars which thou hast 
ordained, &c." Although surrounded by a numerous 
crew I could not help feeling that my situation was 
lonely, yet the wholesome admonition of my good old 
uncle, constantly reiterated in my ears, especially that 
part which admonished me to excel in my profession. 
January 19. — When in the parallel of Cape Frio, I, 
again heard the welcome sound of "sail ho !" which 
proved to be a ship steering to the westward, as we 
supposed bound to Rio de Janeiro. The wind con- 
tinued steady at south-east and the weather being fine, 
we took this opportunity of getting our large guns below. 
Nothing material occurred, until the 26th, when we 
passed the latitude of Rio de la Plata, and did not 
according to our expectation, experience any of those 
severe blows, called by the Spaniards, Pomperos, so 
usual at this place. The winds now became variable 
and the weather squally, until we reached the parallel 
of 40° south. On the morning of the 6th February, 
the wind being light at south-east, saw heavy dense 
black clouds in the south-western quarter, driving furi- 
ously to the north-east. All the light sails were imme- 
diately furled, the topsails close reefed, courses hauled 
up and furled, and the yards braced so as to take the 
wind on the starboard tack. For a few minutes there 
was an entire calm; suddenly the ship was struck 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 47 

with a most tremendous squall of rain, hail and wind ; 
such was its violence, that the ship lay with her gun- 
wale in the water. I had now an opportunity of seeing 
the undaunted coolness and seamanship of Captain W. 
as well as the importance of a well disciplined crew. 
The captain assumed entire command, which was 
executed with great promptness by the officers and 
crew, the mizzen-topsail was furled, and the lee-main- 
topsail- braces were slackened to shiver the sail; the 
helm was put to starboard, and the ship wore off before 
the wind, and like an impatient courser, which had 
been checked, she bounded furiously over the waves at 
the rate of twelve miles per hour. The violence of the 
squall lasted but one hour, when it settled into a hard 
gale, and as the ship was running directly out of her 
course, preparations were now made to bring her up by 
the wind, and lay to. The fore-topsail was furled, and 
the ship having no other sail set but the close reefed 
main -topsail, and fore-topmast-stay-sail; the main -yard 
was now braced up, the helm was put to leeward, and 
the ship came up to the wind. This being the first gale 
that we had experienced, I was a little surprised to find 
how perfectly safe the ship appeared to ride on the sea, 
^and although it blew as the sailors said, a very severe 
gale, yet it could scarcely be realized when we were 
below. The gale lasted about twelve hours, and the 
wind then hauled round to the south-east, and all sail 
being made, we stood on our course without much in- 
terruption. 

February 17. — Sent down royal-yards, masts, and 
rigging, and got in the flying-jib-boom to prepare for 
bad weather off the Cape. The wind now hauled to 
the southward with strong breezes, so that it obliged us 
to take the larboard tack, and stand to the westward, 
and on the morning of the 18th, at 10 a. m. "land ho !" 
was sounded from the mast-head, stretching as far as 
the eye could reach to the south-west. This proved to 
be the cheerless coast of Terra del Fuego ; and was the 
first land we had seen since our departure from Nantas- 



48 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

ket Roads. Our latitude now was 54° 30' south ; lon- 
gitude, 64° 30' west ; having made the passage in 70 days. 

The wind now hauled to the south-west, and in- 
creased to a gale, with violent hail squalls ; and at 5 
p. m. saw Staten Land bearing south-west, and at 6 we 
wore ship to the south-east. The frequency of these 
terrible hail squalls brought to my recollection the con- 
versation with Mr. C. and as I had often been advised 
by the sailors, to give the owners one hand and use 
the other for myself, I found their caution to be abso- 
lutely necessary, especially in these severe squalls ; for 
on that night, all my strength was put to the test, while 
endeavouring with some 30 or 40 men to furl the main- 
sail, which could not be accomplished in less than an 
hour, such was the violence of the wind ; the rain and 
hail pouring upon us in torrents, so that I became 
entirely benumbed, and had to lash myself with the 
ear-ring to the yard-arm to prevent falling overboard, 
having almost lost the use of my hands. 

In this blow the fore-topsail blew out of the bolt-ropes, 
and several other sails were split to pieces. We had 
now got our head fairly up to the curved land off Cape 
Horn ; and although I had heard much about the bad 
weather, yet every account failed in its description to 
the reality which we now experienced. For several 
days neither sun, moon, nor stars were seen, and the ship 
constantly under close reefed fore and main-topsails, and 
reefed foresail, with a tremendous heavy sea running. 

We continued endeavouring to get to the westward, 
but made very little progress. On 25th, observed in 
latitude 57° 30' S. and not having had an opportunity to 
take a lunar observation, the longitude by computation 
from our last departure from Staten Land was 70° 30' 
west. This however could not be relied upon, because 
there is constantly a strong easterly current, and in- 
stances have not been wanting, where ships have judged 
themselves to the westward of the Cape, and have actu- 
ally borne away to the northward, when at the same 
time they were to the eastward, and the first land that 
they saw was about the Rio-de-la-Plata. 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 49 

February 26. — The wind moderated and hauled to 
south-south-west, and as we could make a good westerly- 
course, a heavy press of canvass was now made upon 
the ship, against a heavy head sea. Indeed in these lati- 
tudes the sea is very seldom smooth, because the cessa- 
tion of gales is of so short a period that the swell has 
not time to subside. 

At 6 p. m. the wind hauled again to the west-south- 
west with severe hail squalls, which obliged us at mid- 
night to furl the fore and mizzen-topsails. 

On the morning of the 27th, the wind increased to a 
violent gale, which caused us for the first time to furl 
the main-topsail, and lay to under the storm-staysail. 
The violence of the gale and the consequent heavy sea, 
not only made it difficult for us keep our legs, but also 
prevented the cooks from boiling any meat or coffee, 
the loss of which especially the coffee, was a great pri- 
vation. 

At 9 p. m. the gale broke, and at midnight we set 
close reefed topsails. On the morning of the 28th, the 
wind lulled away to a moderate breeze and the sea be- 
came smoother; this day saw a number of birds, among 
which were albatrosses, and we succeeded in taking 
one with a hook and line which measured twelve feet 
two inches from tip to tip of the wings. The albatross 
is the largest bird in this region except the condor. I 
saw one of the latter which measured fourteen feet across 
the wings. We also caught this day with a small hook 
and line, a number of cape pigeons, which after skin- 
ning and parboiling, made us an excellent sea-pie ; pota- 
toes vinegar and molasses, were now served out to the 
crew, as preventives to the scurvy, some symptoms of 
which having appeared. From these acceptable dain- 
ties, we made what the sailors call "lobscouse," con- 
sisting of salt beef with potatoes cut up, with broken 
biscuit and some fat, mixed together with fresh water 
and boiled — and this is a rare mess to a seaman, on a 
long voyage. The wind continued light until 4 p. m. 
when we saw a very black appearance on the water to 
5* 



50 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 



the eastward, and supposed it to be the reflection from 
the clouds, but with the aid of the spy-glass, it was soon 
discovered to be wind driving furiously from the east- 
ward. All hands were now in motion, we lowered away 
the yards and clewed up the sails, the hands sprung 
aloft and furled all but the fore-topsail, which was close 
reefed ; the ship was now put before the wind amid the 
roaring of the elements \ preventer lashings were put on, 
to secure every thing about deck, and preventer braces 
on the fore and fore-topsail yards. 

Night came on and the scene was terrific; what 
with the howling of the wind, the hoarse bellowing of 
the thunder, the vivid lightning, and the tremendous 
heavy, rolling sea, which broke in on either beam ; her 
stern now lifted by the sea, and her head plunging in- 
to the vortex below ; the stately ship, nearly 600 tons 
burthen, looked comparatively like a nut-shell on the 
waves. 

It was a fearful night and made the stoutest seaman 
on board quail. At midnight the violence of the sea 
stove in our stern boat, which was immediately cut 
away from the gripes, and we also lost both swinging 
booms. During the whole night, the ship was driven 
with maddening impetuosity by the violence of the 
gale, twelve miles per hour. Towards daylight, March 
1st, the gale became steady; and more moderate, and 
the ship was kept away a little to the northward. At 
meridian we observed in latitude 56° 5& southland no 
land being in sight, of course we were to the westward 
of the western-most land of the Cape. 

Having now fairly doubled Cape Horn, I considered 
myself to be a piece of a sailor, as I had endeavoured to 
improve every opportunity to become acquainted with 
the duties of a seaman, and in this I was greatly assisted 
by Mr. C. who as I thought, appeared to take great plea- 
sure in putting me forward. 

March 2nd — The wind now became steady and haul- 
ed to the southward, with strong breezes and clear ; and 
as we lessened our latitude the weather became propor- 
tion ably good. 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 51 

March 7 th. — During the last five days we had uniform 
strong breezes and nothing occurred to interrupt the 
usual routine of duty and sameness of a sea-life. Ob- 
served this day at meridian in 39° 30' S. and the sun and 
moon being in distance a lunar observation was taken, 
and the longitude deduced therefrom was 78° 20' W. 

March 8th. — Sent up royal-yards, masts, &c. got out 
flying jib-boom, and by this time the carpenters had re- 
paired the bulwarks, made swinging booms and other 
necessary repairs. 

March 9th. — Weather being exceedingly fine, and the 
sea smooth, we improved the opportunity to hoist up 
our large guns, and mounted them on their carriages. 
In doing this, a very serious accident happened to the 
carpenter, which nearly cost him his life. He unfortu- 
nately got between the combings of the hatch, and a 
nine pounder swinging in the tackle abreast of him, when 
the man who attended the guy let it slip, and the gun 
swung with the motion of the ship, against his breast. 
He was taken up for dead, but through the indefati- 
gable exertions of the surgeon, he was soon brought 
to exhibit signs of life, but did not perform any duty for 
four months, and was not the same man again during 
the voyage. The guns with all their paraphernalia being 
secured, and the wind being now moderate, all sail was 
set under the expectation of making the island of Masa- 
fuero the next day. 

March 10th. — At 10 a. m. land was descried from the 
mast-head bearing north-north-west, 15 leagues distant ; 
the ship was heading exactly for the land ; it proved to be 
as was expected the island of Masafuero, situated in 33° 
. 45' S. latitude and 80° 38' W. longitude, having made 
the passage in ninety-two days from Nantasket Roads. 

The island of Masafuero is small, being about six miles 
in length and four and a half in breadth. On approach- 
ing this island it every where appears to the eye of the 
beholder a mass of high shelving rocks without verdure 
or shrub, which we in truth found to be the case after 
landing, and it is therefore incapable of affording suste- 



52 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

nance, especially on the south side, for we examined it 
thoroughly. 

We stood boldly into the south side, until within a mile 
and a half of the island, it being the intention of Capt. 
W. to send the boats on shore to get water, if they could 
land. Accordingly two boats were manned and des- 
patched, myself being one of the number each man taking 
his hook and line to fish. In approaching the beach 
we found it impossible to land, the surf being so great, 
and the whole shore was lined with rocks. In this we 
were much disappointed, the chagrin however did not 
last long, for to our great joy when we commenced 
fishing, we caught them in such numbers, that in 
two hours we loaded both boats with the finest fish I 
ever ate. This proved to be a great treat to the officers 
and crew, and amply compensated us for our disappoint- 
ment in not being able to effect a landing. This night 
lay off and on, keeping the island full in view, with 
the expectation that we might be able to land in the 
morning. 

At daylight, on the 11th, sent away the same two boats 
with the fishing gear, some muskets and ammunition. 
The wind being lighter than on the preceding day, and 
the surf not so high, it was therefore agreed that one 
boat should endeavour to land, while the other was to 
remain off to fish. Accordingly the boat to which 
I belonged proceeded, and with great difficulty and at 
the hazard of our lives, we succeeded in gaining the 
beach. After securing the boat, we took our muskets 
and went in search of water, the prospect of success 
being veiy unpromising, for every where the land pre- 
sented an exceedingly barren appearance without shrub- 
bery or vegetation, consisting principally of high shelving 
rocks, and now and then might be seen, some prickly 
pear bushes, as a kind of relief to this rugged scene. 
After the most diligent search, our efforts proved fruit- 
less, and no water was to be found in any quarter. 
About a mile and a half from where we landed, near to a 
sand beach, there was a small piece of ground which 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 53 

appeared to have been cultivated, as we supposed, by- 
men who had been left on the island to catch seal, 
which had formerly been taken here in great numbers. 
There were also the remains of what probably had been 
a hut in which they lived. Here again we renewed 
our search, supposing that as this location had been 
chosen, fresh water could not be far off, but in this we 
were disappointed. The day now being far spent, the 
third officer who commanded the boat, thought it best 
to give over the search, and get on board as fast as we 
could. We proceeded therefore with all possible des- 
patch, and in passing a narrow defile of rocks, started a 
herd of goats, which being exceedingly, frightened ran up 
an acclivity of rocks that seemed nearly perpendicular, 
with as much apparent ease as if they had been on level 
ground. Our surprise was so great at seeing them that 
we had scarcely presence of mind to fire, and when we 
did, it was so much at random that we killed but two. 
We reached our boat at about 4 o'clock, and with some 
difficulty, the surf being high, joined our companions. 
During our absence on shore the jolly boat was sent 
for eggs which were found in so great abundance on 
a small island detached from the main island, that the 
toat was soon loaded, and towed off to the ship with 
them. The birds here were so numerous and so tame, 
that we found great difficulty in driving them away. 
We killed and took a great many. Some were nearly 
similar to the wild duck, but the most delicious were 
the young boobies, which previously to their going to 
sea are quite as great a delicacy as the canvas-back 
duck. And now having fish, fowls, and eggs, in great 
abundance, we fared sumptuously. All hopes of getting 
water being now at an end, it was determined to leave 
the island and to proceed to the coast of Chili. Accord- 
ingly the boats were hoisted in, sail was made, and we 
steered away to the westward. 



CHAPTER V. 

OBJECT OF THE VOYAGE EXPLAINED TO THE CREW COM- 
MENCEMENT OF TRAFFIC ON THE COAST OF CHILI BAY OF 

COQ.UIMEO., &C. &C. 

March 12. — This day we had fine pleasant weather, 
and the ship was hauled up so as to make the land near 
Conception Bay. At meridian, all hands were called 
aft and addressed by Captain W. 

"My men," said he, "no doubt some of you have 
perceived our destination before this time ; I will now 
explain to you the nature of our voyage. We are about 
to run on to the coast of Chili, and from thence down 
the coast to California. Our business is a forced trade 
and we shall be likely to meet with opposition, and fall 
in with Spanish cruisers. It is not my intention to run 
the ship into any fortified port, or to engage any vessel 
of greater force than ourselves ; there will be however 
some risk, as there always is in a contraband trade, and 
I have taken this opportunity to let you know that if 
the ship is taken by the Spaniards, we shall not only 
be made prisoners, but be confined in the mines. I 
expect therefore every man will do his duty, and never 
strike the American flag. And as we shall necessarily 
have much work to do with our boats, to carry goods 
on shore, the greatest precaution will be necessary, so 
that you may not be entrapped by the Spaniards. I 
have no fears as to the final result of this voyage, for 
we have a ship that is quite able to take any thing in 
these seas that wears the Spanish flag, except it may be 
a frigate." 

At the conclusion of this address the men gave three 
cheers — for all hands had the greatest respect for, and 
the strongest confidence in Captain W. 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 55 

Crews were chosen for the boats, the boarding-netting 
was stretched round the ship and stoppered, and every 
preparation made with onr armament to be ready in 
case of an attack. 

March 13. — The wind continued at south-east with 
fine clear weather. This day the men were stationed 
at the guns in three divisions, after which we were em- 
ployed in exercising them, as well as in going through 
the manoeuvre of repelling boarders. 

March 14. — At meridian the cry of "land ho !" was 
heard from the mast-head. Our latitude being 36° 43' 
it proved to be the land between Conception and Tal- 
cahuana. We stood boldly in, our object being if pos- 
sible to ascertain whether any Spanish cruisers were 
lying in either of those ports. This however could not 
be effected before night, for as we approached the land, 
the wind became light, and consequently we had not 
sufficient daylight to make our observations. At 8 p. m. 
took in all the light sails, single reefed the topsails, haul- 
ed up the courses, and lay off and on during the night. 

March 15. — At daylight stood in and saw Concep- 
tion Bay bearing west-south-west, and run close in to 
the southern-most point, and saw a few scattered huts. 
Two boats were now manned and armed, with an 
officer in each, to reconnoitre, and to land for the pur- 
pose of giving information to those on shore, that the 
vessel in the offing had every description of merchan- 
dise suitable for the Spanish market. 

The boats effected a landing, and ascertained that 
there were no Spanish men-of-war in either port, and 
that the coast and country were entirely destitute of 
goods. They also sounded and discovered good an- 
chorage ground under the southern point, secure from 
all but the northerly winds. This information caused 
much satisfaction to all on board, because there now 
appeared a prospect of commencing business. The day 
being far spent when the boats returned, we stood off 
arid on, as on the preceding night; at the same time 
getting our cables and anchors in readiness to let go. 



56 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

March 16. — This morning ran in, and at 10 o'clock, 
came to, with the small bower, in fourteen fathom 
water, abreast of the southern point of Conception Bay. 
The land on this coast is excedingly barren, although 
in the interior it is fertile, vegetation abundant, and the 
grape is cultivated; there being some extensive vine- 
yards, from which wine is made in large quantities, and 
sent to every part of the coast of Chili. 

While here we had abundant reason to speak well of 
the grape both as to its delicacy and richness, for great 
quantities were brought to us from time to time. 

At 11 a. m. sent our boats on shore as on the prece- 
ding day, they returned about 1 p. m. bringing two 
swarthy looking Spaniards, very meanly clad. 

Our steward being a Spaniard, acted as interpreter, 
through whom it was ascertained, that notwithstand- 
ing the appearance of these men, they were neverthe- 
less rich, and wished to purchase goods to the amount 
of $20 ,000 if they could be safely landed. They also 
stated we had chosen a bad place to anchor, because 
the ship would be seen from the City of Conception. 
It was then determined to get under way at dark, 
and stand off and on, so as to keep out of sight. In 
the meantime these Spaniards were to purchase the 
goods, and we were to land them under cover of the 
night. This arrangement being made, the boats were 
dispatched with the; Spaniards to bring off their specie. 
At 5 p. m. they returned bringing the money with them, 
and according to previous arrangement, we got under 
way, stood off and on, and at about midnight they 
finished their purchases, to the amount of near $20,000, 
which were packed, stowed in the boats, and sent on 
shore. They were landed without accident or interrup- 
tion, the boats returned, and all on board were well 
satisfied with the commencement of our trade. 

March 24. — During the preceding days nothing ma- 
terial occurred, except that we were constantly look- 
ing out for landing places and settlements on the coast, 
between Talcahuana and Conception. We found it 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 57 

almost impossible to get on shore with our boats, as the 
coast between the two latter places lies entirely open to 
the Pacific Ocean, and consequently there is at all times 
a very heavy surf running. We however effected a 
landing about 20 miles south of Talcahuana, but not 
without great hazard of our lives, and succeeded in the 
sale of about $6000 worth of goods. 

March 27. — Having now ascertained that nothing 
more could be done on this part of the coast, it was 
determined to go farther to the leeward, especially as we 
were fearful that the Spanish cruisers might get infor- 
mation, if we remained any great length of time at. one 
point. Although Valparaiso was the next port to lee- 
ward, yet it being strongly fortified, and at this season 
of the year a rendezvous for men-of-war, we neither 
touched at, nor passed near to it. 

March 30. — During the last three days we stood off, 
and were employed in exercising our guns, fitting pre- 
venter-slings to our lower yards, and altering the paint- 
work outside, in order to deceive those Spaniards who 
might have seen the ship to windward. 

March 31. — Stood in to make the land about Co- 
quimbo. This day an alteration was made in the 
stations of our crew, and I began to perceive Mr. O. the 
second officer, to be my friend ; for through his influ- 
ence, I was transferred from the mizzen to the main-top, 
and appointed to pull the bow oar in one of the cutters. 
The latter was an advancement I had no reason to look 
for, because none but the most trusty and fearless were 
selected for that duty. At sunset, saw a number of 
spermaceti whales, which were easily distinguished 
from the right whale by some of our seamen who had 
formerly been engaged in the whale fishery. 

At 9 p. m. the wind become very light as we shot 
into a school of these monsters of the deep. While we 
distinctly heard the deep toned breathings of some as 
we lay nearly becalmed, others were plunging with 
fearful rapidity under our bottom, appearing on the 
other side close to the vessel. They continued round 
the ship during a great part of the night, to the no small 
6 



58 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

dismay of some, but to the great delight of others, who 
had frequently been eye-witnesses to scenes of a similar 
character. 

April 1. — At 6 a. m. saw the land, distant 12 leagues. 
The breeze freshening, we made all sail and stood in. 
The coast made was between Point Bellena and Co- 
quimbo. The appearance of the land was high and 
exceedingly rugged — the shore presented an unbroken 
line of rocks, and seemed to defy the skill and manage- 
ment of any boat's crew to land ; but as our business 
was to effect this, if possible, after running close in, two 
boats were manned, armed, and dispatched to reconnoiter, 
and effect a landing if practicable. As before stated, 
being appointed bow-man of one of the cutters, of 
course I was of the number. On approaching the shore 
we found it utterly impossible to land, such was the 
violence of the breakers dashing against the rocks, and 
the heavy rollers which broke at a considerable distance 
outside of them, presented an insurmountable barrier, 
and left us no alternative but to return to the ship. 

At 3 p. m. after the boats were hoisted in, the mast- 
head-men, who were always aloft during the day looking 
out, cried out "sail on the larboard bow !" This was 
the first vessel we had seen this side of Cape Horn, and 
as we were now engaged in a contraband trade, the cry 
of "sail ho !" created an unusual excitement. It was so 
in this instance particularly, as all hands were called to 
quarters, the decks cleared, and every thing put in 
readiness for action. We hauled upon the wind on the 
larboard tack, and the vessel which proved to be a ship, 
passed five or six miles to the leeward of us. Captain 
W. concluded that she was a whaler, bound into Co- 
quimbo for supplies. It seemed to be necessary, how- 
ever, for us to ascertain her character, it being the inten- 
tion of captain W. to go into Coquimbo also, as our sup- 
ply of water was now getting short; and as we should 
run little risk, there being no fortifications at that port ; 
we immediately bore away, and before sunset were suffi- 
ciently near to make her character to be a merchant 
vessel. 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 59 

April 2nd. — At daylight we were close in with the land, 
the Bay of Coquimbo full in view, and it was soon 
discovered that Captain W. was not mistaken as to the 
destination of the vessel we had seen the preceding day ; 
for she was lying at anchor in the harbour, having pro- 
bably arrived the night previously, while we stood off 
and on in the offing. 

Every thing being now in readiness to come to an 
anchor, we stood into the bay with our stars and stripes 
flying at the peak, and quickly perceived the ship to 
hoist Spanish colours. From her appearance, however, we 
could not be deceived as to her character being that of a 
merchant vessel, nevertheless every precaution was taken 
in the event of deception. We continued to run in un- 
til within a short distance of where the ship lay, and 
then came to an anchor in ten fathom water. A boat 
was despatched to ascertain the true character of the 
ship. In about an hour she returned, bringing the 
captain who in formed us that he was from Valdivia, 
bound to Callao and had put in here to land some of his 
cargo. He also expressed much satisfaction on learn- 
ing the character of our ship, and the nature of our 
business, stating that he had orders to purchase in Cal- 
lao, merchandise of the same description that we had on 
board, and therefore he concluded to purchase and fill 
up his orders with us. It now became necessary, being 
much in want of water, to proceed without delay in get- 
ting a supply before the news should reach St. Jago 
of our being in this port, which if known, landing would 
be attended with much hazard, because a strong body 
of soldiers would be despatched from that place to cut 
us off. Accordingly we proceeded with the greatest 
despatch, armed all our boats, took a number of water 
casks in tow, and when near the beach, one of the boats 
was sent with the interpreter to ascertain if water could 
be procured ; and to gather such information as could 
be obtained with reference to the facilities of trade. 
It was soon ascertained by the interpreter that the few 
Spaniards who were there, appeared to be friendly, and 



60 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

offered to assist us in procuring water and supplies. 
They also expressed much satisfaction, being in want 
of goods, when they understood we had such articles 
on board as would suit them. As we had heard of the 
faithlessness of Spaniards, we did not place much reli- 
ance on their apparent friendship, consequently, every 
precaution was taken. A few casks only were landed at 
a time, and those under cover of a strong detachment 
of our men well armed ; and the launch having a swivel 
mounted in her bow, and anchored near the beach, to 
protect the party filling the water casks, who were with- 
in gun-shot, afforded ample security against all danger. 

These arrangements being made, we proceeded with- 
out molestation, and in about three hours, filled all the 
casks which we brought with us, rolled them to the 
beach, slung them, and proceeded on board. We con- 
tinued our labours without interruption two days, and to 
the no small satisfaction of Capt. W. completed our water- 
ing, succeeded in purchasing at a very low rate three 
small bullocks, which were killed on shore, and supplied 
the whole ship's company with fresh provisions for seve- 
ral days. 

April 5.— The boats were employed for several days 
going to and from the shore, bringing with them those 
who wished to trade. The captain of the Spanish ship 
made large purchases. On the 12th, the Spaniard got 
under way and proceeded to Callao, the port of his 
destination, and on the 14th, our land communication 
was broken off in consequence of the arrival of a large 
body of soldiers sent from the interior to prevent our 
negotiations. The colonel of this detachment, however, 
offered to let us trade if a duty of 20 per cent, were secured 
to the government. But Captain W. suspecting a decoy, 
refused to have any further communication with the 
shore at this place. 

The Bay of Coquimbo lies in the parallel of 29° 56' 
south, and 71° 16' west longitude. This is a perfectly 
safe and good harbour, where vessels may ride securely 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 61 

against all winds, having good anchorage ground in 
from 10 to 15 fathoms water, and is easy of access, 
having a wide entrance, and may be known when run- 
ning down the coast by a remarkably high bluff, which 
forms the southern-most point to the entrance of the bay. 
The land near the sea-board is high and sterile, but in 
the interior, especially in the valleys, it is rich, produ- 
cing spontaneously the grape in abundance as well as 
the peach tree, which yields the finest peaches I have 
ever eaten. In this region are mines of copper ore, and 
near this place a vein has been discovered to the ex- 
tent of twenty leagues, bidding fair when the art of 
smelting is made known to the Spaniards, to become a 
source of vast revenue. 

From the town of Coquimbo to St. Jago, the capital 
of Chili, the distance is about fifty leagues. The com- 
munication is kept up by a road, or rather a path, rudely 
constructed, and the travelling is attended with much 
difficulty and danger, because of the narrow passes and 
numerous precipices, which are frequent as you go over 
the mountains. All travelling and transportation are 
performed by mules ; these animals being so perfectly 
trained, that they will go along safely over the narrow 
passes with their yawning gulfs beneath, where a man 
would scarcely venture to perform this task on foot. 

In the offing may be seen the first range of the perpe- 
tually snow- topped Andes or Cordilleras, the highest 
elevation of which is the peak of Chimborazo. No sight 
can be presented to the human eye or mind, more 
truly sublime and magnificent, than to behold the sun 
rise from behind those lofty summits,, and from beneath 
an apparently well defined horizon of snow; while a 
thousand variegated hues are reflected by its rays in 
the clouds which lie between the top of the mountain 
and its base. The intervening land strongly contrasted 
with the light and shade thrown upon the clouds, forms 
at once the most magnificent and picturesque view the 
imagination can conceive. I shall not forget my feel- 
ings as this sight first opened to my view in a morn- 
6* 



62 LIFE ON THE OCEAST, 

ing watch, when the silence and solitude of night 
were dispelled by grey-eyed morning, and the rising 
beams of the sun scattering the mists and vapours from 
the land, presented to my vision the scene just now 
described. It was an hour when all the warring pas- 
sions of nature were lulled and hushed into repose 
by the deeper feelings of awe and veneration, in contem- 
plating the wisdom and power of the great Architect of 
the universe. 

April 15.— In the morning at daylight, the shrill 
whistle and hoarse cry was heard of "all hands up 
anchor a-hoy!" which was soon done, and in a few 
minutes the ship was under a press of canvass, standing 
out of the bay of Coquimbo. After getting a good offing, 
we shortened sail and stood down the coast; it being 
the intention of Captain W. to look in at the port of 
Huasco, a distance of about ninety miles from the last 
port. Being aware that information would be given by 
the captain of the Spanish ship on his arrival at Callao, 
of the character and object of our ship, it became abso- 
lutely necessary for us to act with the greatest caution, 
because, the Spanish authorities no doubt would issue 
orders to every seaport toAvn on the coast, to have us 
intercepted, and cut off if possible ; and knowing too, 
that there were Spanish men-of-war lying in the port of 
Callao, it was highly probable that as soon as informa- 
tion was received they would be sent out in search of us. 
April IT. — Stood in and made the land twenty miles 
to the southward of Huasco. At 11 a. ,m. being close in 
shore, we run down until the port, or rather roadstead, 
hove in sight. When off this roadstead, for it can 
scarcely be called a harbour, a boat was manned to 
sound, and land if practicable. It was ascertained that 
the anchorage ground was in very deep water, and from 
the heavy rolling swell constantly setting in, the surf 
ran exceedingly high and broke at a great distance from 
the beach, which made it difficult for a boat to land 
without the risk of upsetting and the loss of life. No 
communication with the shore was effected at this time, 



LIFE ON "THE OCEAN. 63 

yet it was determined to run the ship in and anchor ; 
which was done about a mile from the shore, in twenty- 
fathoms water. Two boats were dispatched to effect a 
landing if possible. In which were put two coils of 
large rope, a small kedge anchor and buoy, and also a 
small line. When sufficiently near, the anchor was let 
go outside of the rollers, with one end of the large rope 
made fast to the buoy, and the small line was bent on to 
the other end, so that when the boat effected a landing, 
the large rope might be hauled on shore and made fast. 
Watching for a favourable opportunity, we gave way 
with the oars on the top of a heavy roller, which broke 
at a little distance a head of us, and never shall I forget 
the huge black mass of water, which rose up a short 
distance astern of the boat, and which came rolling on 
with fearful rapidity, as if eager to swallow up the boat 
and her crew. "Give way lads, for your life," shouted 
the officer, at the same time keenly glancing at the 
the monster astern, and the bow of the boat alternately. 
"Starboard your oars there, keep her head on, give way 
my boys, one length more and we are safe !" At that 
moment a noise was heard like the falling waters of a 
mighty cataract, it broke about ten yards astern, dashing 
volumes of water far ahead of our boat and throwing a 
great quantity on board, while every man exerted his 
utmost strength at the oar, and at the same time the 
coxswain with great skill and management kept her head 
on — the surf driving her with the utmost velocity, and 
the next minute she struck the beach. We jumped out 
immediately and soon hauled the boat clear of the surf. 
The landing being effected without accident, we 
hauled the rope on shore and made it secure, a sig- 
nal was then made to the boat outside. The crew got 
the bight of the rope fore and aft the boat, leading 
it from the stern over the scull-hole, securing the fore 
part with a stopper to prevent its slipping over the gun- 
wale. The oars were then laid fore and aft, and the 
crew seizing a favourable moment, hauled away upon 
the rope, and brought the boat in great style with the 



64 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

rapidity of lightning to the beach. We were now joined 
by three Spaniards, from whom we learned that our 
arrival was anticipated, as there were two merchants 
from the interior who had come from Coquimbo, they 
having got to the latter place on the day of our departure ; 
and thinking we might touch at Huasco, proceeded here 
with all dispatch to meet us. On entering the town, 
our appearance created much curiosity and surprise, 
nevertheless we were treated kindly, and every assu- 
rance was given of their friendship, as well as the proba- 
bility that we might effect large sales. It was necessary 
however to keep a strict look out, and despatch our 
business, being aware that in a few days, at most, troops 
would be sent to the different ports on the coast to frus- 
trate our trade and to cut us off. The day having worn 
away, it became necessary for the party to go on board, 
and the boats were accordingly cleared of the breakers 
without accident, as before stated , bringing the two mer- 
chants with us. We lay here five days making as good 
use of our time as possible, being constantly engaged in 
bringing off specie and transporting goods to the shore. 
The town of Huasco, is situated in latitude 28° 26' south, 
longitude 71° 15' west. There are about five and twenty 
widely scattered huts, presenting a most uncomfortable 
appearance, and constructed mostly of mud and brush, 
and consisting of but one apartment, consequently 
whole families are thrown together without distinction 
of age or sex. Tropical fruits are here in abundance, 
but vegetables of any description are not to be found, 
and the reason is simply because labour and industry 
are required for their cultivation. The Spaniards on this 
coast particularly are proverbially lazy. Nature seems 
to have been lavish in her bounties towards them, and 
has thus made provision against their constitutional 
defect. 



CHAPTER VI. 

TRAFFIC ON THE COAST CONTINUED — TREACHERY OF THE SPAN- 
IARDS SAIL FOR THE GALL1PAGOS ISLANDS DESCRIPTION OF 

THEM. 

April 22.: — This day we received information from 
one of the Spanish merchants, which obliged us to 
break off our communication with the shore. It seems 
a strong detachment of soldiers had been despatched from 
Coquimbo, to this jjflace, and were expected to arrive 
hourly. He also stated that the inhabitants of the town 
haying made all their purchases, intended to decoy our 
men into the village, and seize our boats. It being 
therefore hazardous to venture on shore, we got un- 
der way on the 23d, and stood out to sea. As we 
expected, information was rapidly spread along the coast 
in reference to the character of our ship, consequently 
the hazard and difficulty of trading became greater 
every day, and the utmost caution with the most deter- 
mined fearlessness was necessary to effect the object of 
the voyage on this coast. A consultation was now held 
between Captain W. and the officers, whether it might 
not be the better plan to run far to leeward, so as to 
elude the vigilance of the Spaniards, which would no 
doubt be kept up along the sea-board. It was however 
determined to touch atone or two places more, and after 
that to proceed either to the leeward or the Cocoss 
Island, which is situated a little to the southward of the 
line. The distance being small from the last port to 
Copiapo, we concluded not to touch at that place know- 
ing that it would be hazardous to land. 

April 25th. — Made the land between Copiapo and 
Point Negra. Stood close in, saw Point Negra at 11 a. m. 



bb LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

and discovered a few huts on shore. This place pre- 
sented no shelter whatever, and appeared to be an im- 
penetrable iron-bound coast; nevertheless great as the 
difficulties apparently were, two boats were despatched 
to reconnoiter, and effect a landing if practicable. The 
boat duty now became exceedingly hazardous, and as 
much elated as I was when I received my appointment 
as bow-man of the second cutter, yet what with the surf, 
the treachery of the Spaniards, and the great distance 
we had oftentimes to pull, damped my ardour, and at 
times I would willingly have relinquished my situation 
in the boat for the more secure foothold of our ship's 
deck. Flinching, however, was out of the question, 
pride revolted, and it would have been considered great 
pusillanimity, besides I should have been a butt for all 
the seamen on board. • 

But to return — we pulled in shore and for a long time 
could not discover any place to land. At length we des- 
cried a point of rocks stretching out a little distance 
from the shore, to the southward of which an entrance 
was perceived, like a small cove. We pulled in without 
hesitation, and found to our great joy, a safe and easy 
landing-place. We were met on the beach by two 
Spaniards, mounted on horseback, and although not in 
uniform, yet they appeared like soldiers, having a brace 
of pistols in their holsters. As there were fourteen of 
us, and all well armed, we did not fear them, although 
every precaution was taken by us to prevent surprise. 
From these two men we learned that they had received 
information of the ship when she lay at Huasco, and 
seemed to be perfectly well acquainted with her charac- 
ter. They expressed a wish to trade, and invited us up 
to the village, which invitation was declined. 

We returned to the ship, and Captain W. thought it 
most prudent not to land unless some of the Spaniards 
could be prevailed with to come on board. The next 
day two boats were despatched under command of Mr. 
C. third officer. On approaching the shore, several 
Spaniards were in waiting on the beach ; no indication 



• 

LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 67 

of treachery or hostility were manifested by them, on 
the contrary every mark of kindness was shown, and 
pointing to a large pile of fruit, they assured the inter- 
preter that they had brought it down expressly for the 
ship. After some consultation, Mr. C. and the inter- 
preter landed on the beach, and prevailed upon the two 
Spaniards to go on board with their specie. In return- 
ing to the ship we sounded and found forty fathoms of 
water within one and a half cables length of the beach, 
so that all prospect of anchoring was at an end. Now 
having these two Spaniards on board we had less fear 
in landing, which we frequently did, and procured a 
large quantity of fresh meat, fruits, <fcc. 

April 26th. — After the Spaniards had finished pur- 
chasing they were taken on shore with their merchan- 
dise and safely landed, and with them our negotiations 
were concluded in this place. 

April 28th. — Made sail and stood out in the offing. 
From the information we had recently received, and 
the indications of treachery at Huasco, Captain W. deter- 
mined to keep off from the coast for a short time, hoping 
by this, to allay the excitement, and elude the vigilance 
of the Spanish men-of-war, which would, no doubt, be 
on the look out for the ship. It was therefore concluded 
to go to the Gallipagos islands, which abounded in sea 
turtle of the most delicious kind, as well as land terra- 
pins, which were said to grow to an immense size. All 
sail was set and we steered away to the northward and 
westward for these islands. The Pacific ocean is very 
appropriately named, as it is remarkable for the serenity 
of the weather, and the uninterrupted course of the 
winds, from the parallel 30° south to the line. Since we 
first made the land about Conception Bay, until the pre- 
sent time, we had one continued series of fine weather, 
and perfectly smooth sea, and consequently never had 
occasion to reef our topsails. 

April 29. — This day being Sunday, I shall here take 
the liberty, not having done so before, to describe a Sab- 
bath on board of our ship. It was the constant practice 



68 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

since we left the United States, to devote Saturday to 
the repairing and washing of our clothes, as well as to 
cleansing the forecastles thoroughly, getting up all the 
chests, <fcc. for the purpose of ventilation. This rule 
was established, so that there might be no unnecessary 
work on the Sabbath day. On Sunday, every man on 
board was mustered, and examined as to the cleanliness 
of his person and clothing. After inspection, it was the 
usual custom of captain W. to give some wholesome ad- 
vice relative to the observance of morals, and to the 
keeping of that day particularly. Although there was 
such a variety of character on board, yet every man had 
the most profound respect, as well as the strongest confi- 
dence in captain W. and therefore his advice was well 
received, and his orders implicitly obeyed. The mono- 
tony of a sea life is more deeply felt on Sunday, than on 
any other day, and this was strictly the case in our ship. 
With a large crew, the duty restricted to watch and 
watch, of course there was much spare time ; conse- 
quently it was absolutely requisite that the men should 
have employment, as well as new scenes of excitement, 
in order that the time of this long voyage might pass 
away agreeably. Yet on the Sabbath day at sea, when 
no work is going on, and nothing to excite one but the 
dull round of ship duty, time necessarily passes very 
heavily. It would have been a curious spectacle for a 
landsman to have seen the occupation of the crew du- 
ring the Sabbath day. On one side of the forecastle, 
might be seen some engaged in painting vessels, land- 
scapes, &c. on the other were a group writing their jour- 
nals ; while a third set were learning navigation, taught 
by a young shipmate, who had graduated at Cambridge. 
There too were the old salts, covering their hats for the 
purpose of making them weather-proof tarpaulins, or 
grafting beckets for their chests ; and by the serious 
countenances of another group who sat reading the Bible, 
you might have supposed that they had received early 
religious impressions. Throughout, the utmost harmony 
and good will seemed to prevail, and thus the day passed 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 69 

off with some pleasantry, but to many others with the 
the most listless apathy. 

We continued on our course to the north-west with 
fine weather and fresh breezes during the passage. All 
who were engaged in learning lunar observations, had 
the privilege of using the sextants belonging to the offi- 
cers, and this was the first time I had taken a distance 
between the sun and moon. After working up the ob- 
servation, I shaped a course for Chatham Island, which 
proved to be tolerably correct, when we made the island. 

May 9. — Nothing material occurred during the last 
eight or nine days. We now found ourselves drawing 
up with the Galipagos Islands, our object being first to 
touch at Chatham. 

May 10. — At 8 a. m. the welcome sound of "land ho!" 
was again sung out from the mast-head. This was the 
island to which we had shaped our course. From my 
dead reckoning, I found that my lunar observation was 
thirty miles out of the way. The island bore north- 
north-west distant ten leagues, and is of moderate eleva- 
tion. As we drew nigh we could not perceive a single 
particle of shrubbery. Every thing wore the appearance 
of having undergone a volcanic eruption. At 11 a. m. 
took in the light sails, and preparations were made to 
come too in Stephen's Bay, which shortly opened at the 
north-east point. At meridian came to anchor with the 
small bower, in ten fathoms water, with good holding 
ground, about three-fourths of a mile from the beach. 
The turtle being found more plentiful on the beach in 
the morning, it was determined not to land until the 
next day. 

May 11. — Our five boats were all hoisted out at day- 
light, and sixty men went on shore with the intention 
of making two parties, one to take terrapin and the other 
turtle. We succeeded beyond our most sanguine expec- 
tations, having taken upwards of twenty fine large turtle 
and as many terrapins, some of which were of immense 
size, weighing from fifty to three hundred pounds. We 
found considerable difficulty in capturing the terrapins, 
7 



70 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

not only on account of their size, but also on account of 
their colour, which bore exactly the same appearance as 
the ground, a dark brown, and which oftentimes eluded 
the vigilance of the sharpest eye. We remained in this 
place four days, during which time we caught 150 turtle 
and succeeded in getting on board 1 70 terrapin. Our 
object in coming to these islands was not only to evade 
the vigilance of the Spanish authorities, but to get a 
supply of turtle and water. After the most diligent 
search no water was to be found on this Island. As 
before stated, such was the sterility of the soil that not 
a single tree was to be seen, and it seemed a mystery 
how the terrapins could subsist on this barren spot — 
unless it was on the low prickly pear bushes, which 
were the only sign of vegetation we saw on the island. 
As we were in no hurry to return to the coast, it was 
determined to go to some of the other islands to procure 
wood and water. 

Chatham Island is situated in the parallel of 50' south 
latitude and 89° 20' west longitude. The bay or har- 
bour is commodious and safe, with good anchorage, and 
owing to its being situated nearly under the equinoctial 
line, calm weather prevails, with however occasional 
squalls of wind and rain of short duration, and less 
severe than within the tropic of Cancer. 

May 16. — Got under way and stood to sea, our inten- 
tion being to run for James Island. The wind being 
light, we did not make it until the 20th, at 9 a. m. Ran 
close in to Jhe leeward and anchored in twenty fathoms, 
the shore presenting a fine long sandy beach, on which 
we landed with our boats without any difficulty. 

James Island is situated in 12' south latitude and 90° 
41' west longitude, and although not so large as Chat- 
ham, yet in its soil it is similar in many parts of the 
island ; but on the south side vegetation is more abun- 
dant. Here "again we were doomed to disappointment ; 
no water was to be found after a search of five days, 
but we caught a few fine turtle and procured a quantity 
of brush wood. Terrapin was no where to be found. 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 71 

As we had been nearly a month from the coast, and 
calculating that it would require from ten to fifteen days 
to beat, up to windward— our destination being for the 
port of Arica — and believing that all further efforts to 
procure water on these islands would be fruitless, 
Captain W. deemed it expedient to proceed forthwith in 
the prosecution of our trade. Accordingly on the 25th, 
we stood to sea, endeavouring as much as possible by- 
keeping the best tack, to work to the southward, so that 
we might take the fresh trade winds. Fortunately the 
wind favoured, so that by the 27th, we reached the 
parallel of 4° south, when we took the south-east trade 
winds and braced up on the larboard tack, standing to 
the southward. The turtle and terrapin which we had 
procured at Chatham Island proved of great value, not 
only on account of their delicacy, but the consumption 
of our salt provisions was lessened, an object of great 
importance, as we expected our stay on the coast would 
be prolonged, and no provisions could be salted down 
in these latitudes so that they would keep. The only 
method practicable when we procured a surplus supply 
of bullocks, was to cut the meat off in long strips, 
put it in pickle for two or three days, and then hang it 
up in the sun to dry. This is what is called jerked beef, 
a good substitute for salted provision, especially when it 
is first cured, but when it is old it becomes dry and 
hard and loses much of its flavour and nutriment. This 
supply of turtle was not only seasonable, but rare and 
delicious, and afforded fresh messes for the ship's com- 
pany for three months ; indeed turtle soup was as com- 
mon as pea soup; and terrapin pies, as much so as salt 
beef. The terrapin is the best fresh sea stock that, can 
be procured, because they are attended with no expense 
and will live for months without food or water. In 
proof of this as soon as they were taken, we stowed the 
greater part of them down in the fore-peak, and used 
them as occasion required, the last of which was not 
killed until about seven months after it was taken, and 
when prepared for cooking was quite as fat as any of 



72 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

the former. We continued beating to windward with 
fresh breezes from south-east. All hands being in fine 
spirits and under a good state of discipline, we were pre- 
pared again to engage in our business on the coast, 
and did not fear and attack from an open enemy of a 
size superior to ourselves. 

June 10. — During the preceding days nothing remark- 
able occurred and every advantage of the change of 
wind was taken. We found ourselves by observation, in 
latitude 18° south and longitude 76° west, being far to 
the westward of Arica. Laid the ship on the starboard 
tack, the wind being at south-east, and stood in for the 
land. 

June 11. — The wind hauled to south-south-east which 
enabled us to make an east course good, and every sail 
was set that could draw on a wind. 

June 13. — At daylight "land ho !" was sung out from 
the mast-head, our latitude being now by calculation 
18° 15' south, and longitude 70 Q 50' west. Stood in and 
saw the port of Arica. A consultation was now held by 
the captain and officers as to the best mode of procedure, 
as we had previous information that there was a small 
fort in that place. It was determined to run in and 
anchor the ship in a position so that our broadside 
could bear upon the fort, as well as to cover our men in 
landing. 

Entering the harbour with the American colours 
flying, we were saluted by the fort with the Spanish 
flag. All the boats were now hoisted out, the launch 
having two swivels mounted in her bow and the pin- 
nace one ; the remaining boats were all well armed ; 
the number of men in this expedition was fifty, under 
the command of Mr. C. second officer, assisted by the 
third officer. Orders were given by Captain W. for one 
boat to land with the interpreter, and the others to 
remain a small distance from the beach, so that in the 
event of an attack the ship could play upon the fort, 
while the expedition on shore was to repel any force 
which might come against them. All being now ready 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 73 

the boats shoved off, cheered by those on board, and 
responded to by the crews of the boats. On approach- 
ing the shore we found some difficulty in landing on 
account of the surf, although not so heavy as that to 
windward, yet it presented an obstacle to those boast 
which were ordered to lie off; the distance being too 
great for the small arms to have effect. It was however 
agreed that one boat should land while the others 
remained outside the rollers, and if necessary a precon- 
certed signal was to be given by those on shore to the 
boats, when they were immediately to pull in. The 
landing was effected and we were met by several 
Spaniards, some of whom wore a dirty uniform, who we 
soon ascertained to be soldiers. They appeared to 
receive us very courteously, and inquired if this was not 
the same ship that was at Huasco two months since. 
On the question being evaded, the commandant of the 
place made his appearance, when a conversation ensued 
between him and the interpreter, in which he agreed to 
let us obtain a supply of water, and carry on our trade 
under the proviso of a pretty large bribe to himself. 

These arrangements being made, we returned to the 
ship, not however until we ascertained the strength of 
the fort, and the number of men with which it was gar- 
risoned. This intelligence being conveyed to Captain 
W. an expedition was prepared on the following day. 
Our water casks in tow, we repaired to the shore, and 
with a small line hauled our casks to the beach. A 
most arduous duty was now before us. Although we 
had ascertained the fort mounted but four guns and was 
garrisoned by only twenty men, yet we did not know 
what number might' be concealed in the village, and it 
was necessary that the water casks should be rolled up 
nearly to the entrance of the town, about five hundred 
yards from where we landed. The trial, however, was 
to be made, even • if we should fail in the attempt. 
The boats were then all ordered on shore, except the 
pinnace, which was to remain to haul the casks off. 
These preparations being made we immediately pro- 
7# 



T4 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

ceeded to roll the casks to the watering place, and with- 
out any hindrance whatever, the whole number were 
filled, hauled off to the pinnace and slung. The com- 
mandant expressing a desire to visit the ship, two boats 
were despatched to tow off the water, and take him on 
board, while the others remained at a little distance from 
the shore. In this manner we proceeded, until our 
watering was finished. We also obtained here a con- 
siderable quantity of yams, and some tropical fruit. 

Our friend the commandant receiving his bribe, and 
taking a good survey of the ship, departed with the pro- 
mise to assist us in the prosecution of our trade. Many 
small presents were sent on shore and distributed 
among the soldiers and inhabitants, which served great- 
ly to secure their friendship. We remained here two 
weeks, during which period some heavy sales were made, 
but as usual when the Spaniards had effected their pur- 
pose, and secured all they could screw out of us, evi- 
dent signs of treachery were observed, which roused 
our suspicions, when no more communication was held 
with the shore. 

June 28. — At 8 a. m. got under way, and when about 
half a mile from the anchorage, we had positive proof 
that our suspicions of the treachery of the Spaniards 
were not ill founded, for we were saluted by a shot from 
the fort, which fell a little short of us. Not caring to 
waste powder and ball upon these miscreants, we took 
no notice of the tendered favour. 

The port of Arica lies in the parallel of 18° 27 ; south, 
79° 19' west. It affords no shelter except from the east- 
north-east winds, which seldom blow. The anchorage is 
from eighteen to twenty-five fathoms water, with sandy 
bottom, where vessels may ride in safety, the weather 
being perpetually good. The town of Arica, as before 
stated, has a rudely constructed fort, of but little im- 
portance. This town or village, consists of about 
twenty or thirty buildings or huts, which are neither 
wind tight nor water tight. This to be sure is of little 
importance, because the weather is uniformly warm, and 
it seldom rains in these latitudes. 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 75 

Arica is the port town to Arequipa, the capital of inter- 
mediate Peru. It is situated east-north-east from Arica, 
distant forty leagues, and is difficult of access, by reason 
of the high mountains, and the many narrow passes 
and denies, with which it is surrounded, and over 
which no animals are used for transportation or burthen 
except mules. The land is exceedingly barren ; in 
the interior it is mountainous and rocky, and with 
the exception of the valleys, it is altogether so poor, that 
nothing can thrive. 



CHAPTER VII. 

INFORMATION OF THE CAPTURE OF A BOSTON SHIP BY A SPAN- 
ISH CRUISER AN ATTEMPTED CAPTURE OF OUR BOATS . DE- 
FEATED PORT OF ISLAY NEWS OF A SPANISH CRUISER 

DESCRIPTION OF A HURRICANE SEVERE ENGAGEMENT. 

We continued our course to leeward during the night 
under short sail, calculating to be close in with the port 
of Ilo at daylight. In the morning run in and anchored 
in the roadstead in thirty fathoms water. Nothing pre- 
sented itself to cause alarm, as there were only about 
eight or ten houses or huts that could be perceived, 
consequently, we had nothing to fear, except it might 
be a force from Arica. Here we had no difficulty in 
landing as there was but little surf, a ledge of rocks 
which lay off a short distance from the beach broke 
the heavy swell. When we landed having taken the 
same precaution as usual, the inhabitants both men and 
women came down to the beach, and among them was 
an Irishman, whose appearance indicated a person of 
some distinction. From him we learned that the ship 
Belle Sauvage of Boston, had been captured about three 
weeks before by a Spanish cruiser, and sent into Callao. 
We knew that the Belle Sauvage was bound to the north- 
west; coast, and it was probable she had touched here to 
dispose of part of her cargo, which supposition was con- 
firmed by the Irishman, who informed us that she was 
capturwfen Arica. It was no mystery to us why we 
were kept in ignorance of the circumstance when there, 
they probably hoping we would meet a similar fate. 
This Irishman expressed a great desire to make purcha- 
ses from us, stating that he was a merchant and had been 
a resident of Arequipa some years. We returned to the 
ship with him, when he bargained with Captain W. for 
a large amount of merchandise, which was immediate- 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 77 

ly made ready for delivery. Two boats were sent a 
shore with him, and in about two hours he returned 
bringing the amount of his purchases in specie. The 
goods were landed safely, after which he coming off 
several times, suspicions were finally awakened that he 
was a spy. The next day those suspicions were con- 
firmed, for while one of the boats was on shore with the 
interpreter endeavouring to make a bargain for some fresh 
stock, a plan was laid to seize the boat and cut us off. 
This was done by a party of Spaniards in conjunction 
with this Irishman. They endeavoured to get between 
the boat and our men, who all but one were on the 
beach seeing this, and not liking their movements, the 
interpreter said to the officer of the boat, "we will go on 
board." Upon this, the Spaniards renewed their efforts, 
when the interpreter immediately took sand in both 
hands and threw it in the face and eyes of the Irish- 
man, creating considerable confusion with the Span- 
iards ; in the midst of which we succeeded in gaining 
our boat where all our muskets were stowed. On seeing 
the muskets presented the Spaniards fled with precipita- 
tion, and thus ended our adventure and the communi- 
cation with Ilo. 

July 7. — Weighed anchor and stood o.ut to sea. It 
was now certain that as we approached Callao, our 
situation became more critical and dangerous, in con- 
sequence of which Captain W. was undetermined as to 
our future operations. He soon however came to the 
conclusion to touch at the port of Islay, which lies 
south-westerly twenty-five leagues distant from Ilo, and 
then to run far to leeward. In accordance with this 
plan we shortened sail during the night, ran close to the 
land, and at nine a. m. July 8th, made the port of Islay. 
Stood in and anchored in thirty-five fathoms water. 

Islay can scarcely be called a harbour, as it affords no 
shelter whatever except from the south-east winds, 
which are broken by a high bluff of rocks, extending 
seaward about three-quarters of a mile, ranging nearly 
east and west. There is also another ledge of rocks 



78 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 



about a quarter of a mile from the shore, running north 
and south, distance one mile, which effectually breaks 
the surf that rolls in with tremendous violence on the 
other parts of the shore. 

Two boats were manned, armed, and despatched with 
orders that no one should land except the interpreter. 
On approaching the beach we saw several Spaniards 
awaiting our arrival. No appearance of treachery was 
discerned among them. The interpreter went on shore 
and held a consultation, the result of which was that a 
boat was to be sent on shore the next morning before 
daylight, when two Spaniards were to be in waiting 
with specie to repair on board the ship to make pur- 
chases. According to this arrangement, we proceeded 
on shore and brought them off with their specie. From 
these men we received most important information, 
namely, that an armed lugger of great force, mounting 
two thirty-two pounders on pivots, and eight long nines, 
with a complement of two hundred and fifty men, 
pierced for sixty sweeps, had been fitted out at Callao, 
and had actually sailed in company with a Spanish sloop- 
of-war six days previous, to cruise in quest of us ; and 
that they were probably then hovering near by. This 
news created universal excitement throughout the ship, 
especially as a dead calm prevailed ; not a ripple or cats- 
paw was visible over the wide waste of waters. The 
sun shone brilliantly on the broad face of the Pacific, 
the ocean presented to the eye a smooth glassy surface, 
and the slumbering deep always portentous of a coming 
storm, especially in the season and latitudes of the 
tornado — rthis combination of circumstances produced a 
kind of secret foreboding among the crew of a coming evil. 
It was not however a dread of the desolating hurricane, 
so much as a fear of being attacked by the enemy in 
the night, while at anchor during this calm. 

At meridian the cry of "sail ho !" was simultaneously 
heard from the fore and main royal-yards ; but the 
stranger was at so great a distance in the offing that her 
character could not be ascertained with the glass. At 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 79 

sgmset, the distance being shortened between us, she was 
seen from the topsail yard. The crisis had now nearly 
arrived, as no doubt remained with Captain W. but that 
the strange sail in the offing was an enemy, conse- 
quently the ship was put in complete readiness for action. 
All hands were called with orders to remain at quarters 
during the night, the lights were extinguished, and a 
profound silence reigned, which was only interrupted 
by the roaring surf on the beach, or the occasional 
scream of a sea-gull which in vain sought its nightly 
repose among the rocks, by the turbulence of the dash- 
ing foam. 

"George," said an old salt, who was stationed at the 
gun with me, and who had served seven years on board 
of an English man-of-war, "I'll miss my reck'ning if 
we don't have some play with these shooting-irons to- 
morrow." 

"Why?" said I. 

"Because," he replied, "I never knew such a day and 
night of calm as this, in all my going to sea, that was 
not followed by a brush or a storm of some kind. Two 
years ago I was on board of a West Indiaman, out of 
York, bound to St. Thomas, and when about two days 
sail from the island, one morning it fell dead calm, just 
such a time as we have had to-day for all the world. 
Our skipper, an old trader, did not seem to be quite 
easy in his mind that day, so before night the hands 
were turned up, and we got all the light spars down on 
deck, housed the top- gallant-mast, close reefed the top- 
sails, furled the courses, jib and trysail, got preventer 
lashings on the boats and spars, and hove overboard all 
the useless lumber from the deck. 

"Throughout the night it remained calm as a clock, 
and the little brig lay on the water just like that albatross 
we saw off Cape Horn riding over the sea, with its head 
under its wing asleep. In the morning, the sun arose 
red as a ball of fire, and very soon a black cloud came 
up in the north-north-east quarter. The mate had the 
watch on deck and called the old skipper up, who 



80 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

didn't take much time to put on his knee buckles. As 
soon as he got on deck he clapped his phiz to windward 
which looked for all the world like a hard north-wester. 
The cloud soon rose and passed over astern of us to the 
westward, then pile upon pile, they showed their black 
heads like mountains in the eastern board., 'Clew up 
the main-topsail,' shouted the captain, 'lay aloft there, 
furl the sails, clap on preventer gaskets, hook on the 
rolling tackle, bowse it taut, and secure the yard, — 
cheerily men.' 

"We sprung aloft, furled the topsail and were soon on 
deck. 'Away forward,' cried he, 'clew up the fore-top- 
sail, and hand it ; bear-a-hand, and lay down off the 
yard.' 

"Just as we got the bunt gasket made fast, I took 
a squint to windward, and sure enough I saw it a 
coming; the black clouds had nearly overspread the 
heavens, and the cold misty rain was driving along 
towards us by the violence of the wind. The sea rose, 
and along came a huge mass of black water, which I 
knew very well if it came on board would swamp the 
little brig. 'Lay down for your lives,' shouted the cap- 
tain, 'and come aft, secure yourselves every man of you, 
hard-a-port.' 

"Just at that moment the violence of the winds struck 
us a-beam and having nothing on her but the fore-top- 
mast-stay-sail, she payed off before the wind, and took 
the heavy rolling sea on her quarter, and in a few 
minutes she was scudding away before it, at the rate of 
eleven knots. 

"The next hour it blew a hurricane, each succeeding 
sea grew higher, and rolled heavily after us with fearful 
rapidity, as if driven along by the imp of darkness, 
eager to swallow us up as his prey. Just then, a loud 
clap of thunder rose high above the roaring hurricane, 
and a sharp flash of lightning played round the masts 
and rigging, like a blaze of fire ; it came from the north- 
west quarter. 'Starboard your helm, haul in the lar- 
board head brace !' roared out the old skipper, in a tone 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 81 

which was heard distinctly amid the contending ele- 
ments ; but it was too late, the hurricane suddenly- 
shifted eight points into the north-western board and 
struck her on the beam ; and at the same moment, the 
heavy rolling sea from the eastward was close a board, 
part of which as she lifted her stern, tucked her under 
the counter — away went the fore-topmast-stay-sail clean 
out of the bolt-ropes, and the next moment, a heavy 
combing sea fell a board, throwing poor Jack Evans, 
who was at the helm, twenty yards from the brig, and 
down she went smack on her beam-ends. I shall 
never forget that scene," said the narrator mournfully; 
"as we clung to the starboard side of the little brig, we 
heard the cries of poor Jack, and saw him struggling 
for life on the top of a sea. This sight set my eye pumps 
agoing, and turning away I saw the old skipper crawl- 
ing along towards the main-channels. 'Follow me !' 
he shouted, 'and lend a hand to cut away the lanyards 
of the main-rigging.' I crept along the side after him 
as well as I could, and we succeeded in gaining the 
main-channels. 'Now,' said the old skipper, 'a sharp 
knife, and a clear conscience — cut away the lanyards, 
my lads.' We both fell to, they were soon cut away, 
and the mainmast went by the board, carrying with it 
the fore-topmast and jib-boom. 

"The little craft now being relieved of her burthen, 
soon began to right, which the old man perceiving, sung 
out, 'thank God, my lads, she rights !' and leading the 
way himself, shouted, 'come on my boys, let's free her 
from these sticks or they will make daylight through 
her.' 

"This was not the work of a minute, but there were 
no skulkers there ; every man did his duty from the 
captain down , and in an hour and a half, the wreck was 
cleared, she was nearly upright on her bottom, every 
thing swept clean from the decks with only one solitary 
stick standing, driving away before the terrific hurricane, 
with maddening fury, 'sound the pumps there — ' " 

I had listened up to this moment with breathless 
8 



82 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

attention, and as Joe Green progressed in this exciting 
narration, his voice became distinctly audible. 

"Silence there !". said Mr. L. our first officer, who had 
been sweeping round the horizon with his night-glass, 
and then addressing Captain W. 

"Yonder is a sail, sir, on our larboard quarter, between 
us and the land." 

This was corroborated by the second and third offi- 
cers, who in their turn swept the horizon with the night 
glass. 

"Lay the ship's larboard broadside to the strange sail 
with the spring," said Captain W. 

This order was instantly obeyed, and all was again 
quiet, the strange -sail having now disappeared, being 
shut in with the land. 

It was now midnight, the Spaniard had completed 
his purchases, and two boats under command of the 
third officer, were despatched with him and his mer- 
chandise — with orders to return to the ship as speedily 
as practicable. 

The night wore away and at the dawn of day, on the 
10th, we discovered that the officers were not deceived. 
There she lay inside of the rocks, her hull nearly con- 
cealed from our deck, exhibiting to our view nothing 
but a lugger's spars. We now began to realize what we 
so much dreaded, being within gun-shot of the enemy, 
in a dead calm, with little probability of crippling him, 
and no chance of getting out of his reach unless a 
breeze should spring up. 

At half past five, a. m. the stars and stripes were 
hoisted at the peak, and the broad pennant at the main; 
a gun was fired to leeward with blank cartridge, the 
signal of a friend. She responded to our friendly indi- 
cation, by hoisting the Spanish flag, and firing a thirty- 
two pound shot, which fell a short distance astern of us. 
And now the action began. The order was given by 
Captain W. to elevate the guns of the first division, 
so as if possible to cut away the enemy's spars. 
Presently a broad sheet of flame issued from the lar- 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN, 



83 



board side, and for a moment our ship was enveloped 
in smoke ; it soon cleared away and there the enemy- 
lay uninjured by our fire. A brisk cannonading was 
kept up, and we soon perceived that our position was 
not a very enviable one. Every shot from our op- 
ponent's thirty-two pounders told well. 

"I'll bet a month's grog," said the gunner's-mate, as 
he was looking over the side at one of the shot which 
came skipping along the water, "that that shot makes 
daylight through our ship." 

Sure enough, it struck the quick work, took off the 
top of the companion way, and cut away two shrouds 
of the mizzen rigging. Single shots were now dis- 
charged at the enemy but without effect. The execu- 
tion of the enemy's shot now became fearful; every 
deck plank was shivered athwart ship ; the main and 
mizzen rigging and slings of the fore-yard were cut 
away ; three men lay dead, and seven wounded ; and it 
became absolutely necessary for the safety of the ship 
and crew, either to get out of her reach, or to use some 
stratagem to decoy her out of her place of security from 
behind the rocks. Just then a light air sprung up from 
off the land, and we ceased firing. 

"Away there aloft topmen, and loose the sails, man 
the topsail, top-gallant and royal sheets, see the cable 
all ready to slip ;" were the orders given in quick suc- 
cession, and as quickly obeyed. In ten minutes the 
ship was under sky sails, the cable was slipped, her head 
canted to starboard, and the boats had her in tow,' the 
two boats having just returned from the shore. The 
breeze did not last more than fifteen minutes, when it 
again fell calm, and from the heavy swell which set in, 
it was impossible to tow her ahead with the boats. 
The swell setting her in towards the rocks, obliged us 
again to anchor, the boats were ordered alongside, the 
light sails clewed up, the topsails let run on the cap, and 
the ship was brought up with the stream anchor, backed 
by the kedge, in forty fathoms water. For a few minutes 
the Spaniard ceased firing and we perceived he was 



84 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

getting under way. Captain W. addressing the crew 
said — 

"Now my men, the Spaniard is under the impression 
that he has silenced us and intends to carry us by board- 
ing. We will not undeceive him till he gets fairly 
within short gun-shot. Recollect the American flag 
must never be struck to that Spaniard. Away then to 
your quarters, let the larboard broadside be charged 
with round and grape, and let not a shot be spent in 
vain." 

The lugger now came from behind the rocks, pulling 
boldly with her sweeps head on. 

"Are all the divisions ready?" demanded Capt. W. 
which was answered in the affirmative. "Mind," said 
he, "that you depress the muzzles of your guns, so as to 
hull the rascal." 

"Aye, aye, sir !" said an old tar, who was captain of a 
gun near to that at which I was stationed, and which 
he had christened Nancy Dawson. So saying he clap- 
ped his eye to the breech and patting the gun most 
affectionately, said — 

"That cut-throat rascal shall hear some of your small 
talk presently." 

The lugger had now approached to within half gun- 
shot, head on ; the order was now given to lay the 
ship's broadside with the spring so as to give the enemy 
a raking fire. The movement was quickly perceived 
by the lugger, and her head was immediately pulled 
round with the sweeps, so as to bring her starboard 
broadside to bear." 

"Are you ready fore and aft?" said Capt. W. 

'•Aye, aye !" was the reply. 

"Fire !" 

The whole broadside was discharged, which shook 
the ship from the kelson to the truck, and which en- 
veloped her in a cloud of smoke. In a few moments it 
cleared away — the lugger's mizzenmast, main-topmast, 
and bowsprit were gone ; and as we afterwards learned, 
one of her thirty-two pounders was capsized, seventeen 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 85 

men lay dead upon her decks, and twenty-eight were 
wounded. Jack Sawyer, who was captain of the gun 
"Nancy Dawson," seeing the lugger's mizzenmast cut 
away, jumped in ecstacy of joy, and kissing the breech 
of his gun, swore that the shot from Nancy cut away 
the mizzenmast. The lugger by this time had her 
head pulling in shore. 

"Elevate your guns with precision, load and fire as 
fast as you can, and sink the Spaniard," said Capt. W. 

This order was unnecessary as the men had become 
exasperated to the highest pitch for the loss of our ship- 
mates. Our firing, however, soon proved useless, for 
with the aid of her sweeps she was in a short time out 
of gun-shot, pulling along shore. Three cheers were 
now given, and as we were all eager for the fight, 
asked liberty of Capt. W. to cut her out with the boats. 

"No," said he, "you have fought bravely and blood 
enough has been spilt already, no doubt but that you 
might carry the cowardly dog, but it would be at the 
expense of some of your lives. We have a long cruise 
before us yet, and probably shall have occasion to use 
all the ammunition on board ; besides, 1 value your 
lives more than that dastardly Spaniard." 

This had the desired effect with the crew. The 
decks were cleared, the launch and pinnace succeeded 
in weighing the anchor, which had been slipped and 
soon brought it alongside, the cable was taken in, and 
the anchor hove to the bows. A light breeze now 
sprung up from off the land, the boats were hoisted in 
and stowed, the stream anchor was hove up, and in a 
few minutes she was under a press of sail, standing out 
to sea to repair damages and bury the dead. 

We stood off, the breeze increasing and at sunset 
were out of sight of the land. The light sails were all 
taken in, and as Capt. W. was undecided as to our 
future operations, we steered away to the northward 
during the night under easy sail. The following day 
was set apart for the burial of our dead. 

July 11. — This morning the sun rose in a cloudless 



86 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

sky, and now the excitement of battle being over, a 
universal sadness was felt throughout the ship for the 
loss of our three young shipmates, and the fate of two 
others who it was supposed were mortally wounded. 
The corpses were sewed in their hammocks, and every 
preparation was made for a burial at sea. At 10 a. m. 
the ship was hove too, with the main-topsail at the mast. 
All hands were piped on deck, and the bodies were 
laid on planks in the gangway. The captain's clerk 
commenced the funeral service of the Episcopal church. 
"Man, that is born of a woman, &c." There stood the 
old tars who had braved many a storm and faced the 
enemy at the cannon's mouth, with their hard features 
and brawny limbs. The moment the service com- 
menced , their eye-pumps gave way, and the salt tears 
fell in quick succession down their weather-beaten 
faces, while the more youthful sailors being more sus- 
ceptable to the impressions of woe, wept immoderately. 
Just at the moment when the clerk had reached that 
part of the service which commits the body to the deep, 
I cast a glance at Capt. W. and the officers, and saw 
depicted in their countenances the deepest emotions of 
sorrow, as well as the falling tears chasing each other 
in rapid succession. The sea being perfectly smooth 
the ship lay nearly as still as if she had been at an 
anchor. The solemn moment arrived, the voice of the 
clerk tremulously pronounced. — "We commit these bo- 
dies to the deep" — a splash was heard, and the corpses 
sank beneath the blue wave, there to rest until "the sea 
shall give up its dead." 



CHAPTER VIII. 

SAIL FOR COCOS ISLAND CONVERSATION WITH JACK SAWYER 

DESCRIPTION OF CHATHAM ISLAND MELANCHOLY DEATH AND 

FUNERAL OF ONE OF THE SEAMEN. 

The solemn scene described in the last chapter being 
over, the main-topsail was filled away, all sail set, and we 
steered for Oocos Island to replenish our water and 
fuel 5 which were getting short. The sad occurrences 
of the last few days produced a general sorrow with the 
officers and crew, and especially with Captain W., as the 
relatives of the three young men who had recently fallen 
had given them into his particular charge, and they were 
also universal favorites with the crew. Seamen are 
naturally superstitious, and the late events roused up 
those latent feelings of credulity into active exercise. 
Many of the old sailors affirmed, with great gravity, that 
as the enemy's shot passed through the ship's side, and 
killed three men, then spent its force, and rebounded 
and rolled into the cabin ; in consequence of the ball 
remaining on board, we should have many a brush, and 
many of us would lose the number of our mess before 
our cruise was up. Others were afraid to go aloft alone 
in the night, especially in the mizzen-top, because the 
lads who were killed had been stationed there previous 
to the action. One old salt swore, that while he was at 
the helm in the first night watch, just before eight bells 
were struck, he saw Jim Fox (one of the slain) passing 
water aft, and actually washing the deck. Be these 
things as they may, it had a very salutary influence, for 
the Sabbath day after this was more generally respected, 
and many of the crew read the Bible with attention, 
who had perhaps never looked into it before. All the 
wounded, except two, were recovering rapidly ; the da- 



88 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

mages were repaired, and the duties of the ship were 
performed with the usual promptness, and long yarns 
were being continually spun in the forecastle, relative 
to our late action. 

While at a job of work in the main-top in a forenoon 
watch, with an old sailor, I was not a little interested in 
the following conversation : 

"Youngster," said he, "that carcass of yours got the 
better of your pins the other day — you didn't flinch, but 
you had a narrow chance for your knowledge-box when 
that shot knocked down Bob Wilson and Sam Clark by 
your side. Well, well," continued he, "there's no fun 
in fighting when there's nothing gained by it — I don't 
mind to have a bit of a dust now and then if there's any 
prize money in the way, or in my country's sarvice, for 
do ye see, if mayhap you get a flipper or pin knocked 
off and lay up in ordinary, why then you have a shot 
in the locker ; or if a chance shot happens to let day- 
light through you, why then you're among the list of 
the killed ; the jig's up, and there's an end on't. But 
I say, youngster, you've got larnin and I can't read a 
word in the book ; just tell me, where does a sailor go 
to when he slips his wind ? I've always had a notion 
till the other day, that when Jack parts his cable he 
drives away to Fiddlers' Green, where there's plenty of 
grog and lots of fun. 

"There was Tom Bunting, a messmate of mine aboard 
the Syren frigate, he could read just as well as the par- 
son, and spin a yarn as long as the main-top bowline. 
'Do you think, Jack,' says he, 'after a sailor has been 
knocked about like the boatswain's yeoman — now un- 
der a burning sun, and then off the icy cape, with hard 
usage and salt grub all the days of his life, banging salt 
water — that he's not going to have some fun and frolic 
after he slips his wind ? 'I'll tell you,' says Tom, 'I 
don't believe a word what our chaplain said the other 
day, that a sailor is going to be clapped under hatches 
when he slips his moorings, just because he tosses off a 
glass of grog, lets slip an oath sometimes, and has a bit 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 89 

of a spree when ashore.' But I say, youngster, " con- 
tinued Jack, "there's Bill Harris, that college larnt chap 
that belongs to our watch, he's a hearty fellow though 
he does tumble down the forescuttle and capsizes all 
the grub belonging to the mess. The other day, just 
as I was going to turn in, I overheard him say to Zeke 
Dowling, the boatswain's mate, 'Zeke,' says he, '1 tell 
you, it's all stuff about a sailor's going to Fiddlers' 
Green. Sailors, as well as landsmen, will have to heave 
in stays and stand on tother tack, so as to get clear of 
the shoals of destruction that lays near grog harbour, 
and swearing rocks, and cape frolic, which is sure to 
pick him up if he stands on, and then,' says Bill, 'he 
must obey the orders of this book, (clapping his flipper 
on a Bible that lay on a chest) if they don't, why then, 
do ye see, when they slip their cables they'll just drift 
into the broad bay of destruction.' 'Just belay that, 
Bill,' says I, 'how is a fellow going to obey orders 
when nobody gives them, and he can't read a word in 
the book?' 'I'll read for you,' says Bill. So half a 
dozen of us just coiled ourselves round him in a ring, 
and at he went, just for all the world as if he had larnt 
it by heart; so after he had read on a bit — 'avast there,' 
says I — is that true, Bill? 'Every word on't,' says Bill. 
I just felt, v^ ngster, the same as I did when aboard of 
the Syren mgate, as we lay becalmed under a French 
eighteen-gun battery. They bored us every shot, and 
we could'nt get one of our shooting-irons to bear upon 
the battery." 

"Why, how did you feel, Jack?" says I. 

"Why, just like hauling off on tother tack. I'll tell 
you what 'tis, youngster, I've been overhauling my log- 
book, and I find I've kept a bad reck'ning of it; I've 
carried too much sail, and now I am clean off the right 
course, and I don't know how to steer to keep clear of 
the sunken rocks, and make the good port where I can 
moor head and stern. Can you tell me, youngster?" 

"Yes," said I, "take Bill Harris' advice, heave in stays 
immediately, and when you get round on the other tack 



90 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

clap on every sail that will draw upon a wind, haul out 
your bowlines taut, make short boards till you get an 
offing; and when you have plenty of sea room, give 
the rocks a wide berth, haul in the weather-braces, set 
studding-sails below and aloft, and steer away for the 
broad bay of heaven." 

I cast a glance at Jack, and saw that his hard features 
had relaxed and his head pumps were going. Says I, 
"Jack, would you like to know how to read, if you would 
I'll teach you in our watch below ?" 

"Youngster, I'll give you my grog for six months, if 
you'll jist larn me to read in that book I heard Bill Harris 
read. Why there was my old mother, God bless her ! 
she slipped her wind when I was a young chap, and 
then do you see there was nobody to care for poor little 
Jack, it's many long years since, but I recollect she 
would throw her arms around my neck, and read that 
same old book, and then say the Lord's Prayer. 'Jack, 
says she, 'be a good boy — remember your poor old 
mother's advice, obey the orders of this book, and it 
will make a man of you.' " 

I felt an unusual interest for poor Jack, and resolved 
to use my best endeavours to instruct him, at least, so 
far as that he might be able to read ; and at the same 
time I felt a little curious to know more about his 
history. Addressing him to this effect, I said, "I should 
like to know more about your poor old mother and 
yourself." To which he replied — 

"Why, youngster, I've been boxing the compass up 
and down, fair weather and foul, twenty-seven years, 
and never had a messmate before, that cared for old 
mother and rattlebrain Jack Sawyer ; (for this was his 
name) "why, my hearty," continued he, "it's a pretty long 
yarn and as we have good weather in these latitudes — too 
good for these cut-throat rascals on this coast, — I'll spin 
it out here in the top in our watch at night." 

At that moment eight bells were struck, the larboard 
watch called, and the boatswain piped to dinner. 

July 20. — During the nine preceding days nothing 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 91 

of moment transpired to disturb the monotony which is 
usual at sea, with a long series of fair winds and good 
weather ; and as we were now rapidly approaching the 
island, Jack Sawyer said he would clap a stopper on his 
yarn, until we got our wood and water on board. 

July 22. — At midnight, took in all the light sails and 
hove too, expecting to be close up with the land in the 
morning. We were not disappointed, for at daylight the 
island was close aboard, bearing north-westerly, distant 
not more than one league. Made all ready to come to, 
rounded into Chatham Bay and brought up with a small 
bower in ten fathoms water. The boats were hoisted 
out and every preparation was made to fill up the water, 
and replenish the stock of fuel. Vessels may lay here 
in the most perfect safety in all winds ; there are 
however no gales ; the trade winds are regular except 
at certain seasons of the year, when they are inter- 
rupted by squalls. The bay is as smooth as a mill- 
pond, and affords every facility to vessels that touch 
for supplies. The island is small, say about four miles 
in circumference, with two lesser islands, which are 
detached by a narrow channel from the main island. 
The land is exceedingly fertile and loamy, abounding 
in wood, with wild hogs and cocoa-nuts in abundance. 
The water here is perhaps the finest in the world, and 
may be got without difficulty, and indeed without roll- 
ing the casks on shore, as you have nothing to do but 
to extend a link of hose to the top of a rock — into which 
runs a stream of fine fresh water — and by directing the 
other end of the hose into the casks, they are filled at 
once. As we were now in a fine harbour, with a fair 
opportunity to obtain supplies and overhaul our ship, 
Capt. W. made up his mind to remain here at least 
three weeks or a month. The crew were now variously 
employed in getting water, wood, shooting hogs, and 
collecting cocoa-nuts. The armorer and his crew were 
also employed in burning a coal pit. We obtained a 
plentiful supply of eggs from the small islands, which 
were literally covered with them, so much so that large 



92 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

quantities were taken every day during our stay. Sea- 
fowl were here also in great numbers, especially a spe- 
cies of duck, known by the name of "shags." Young 
boobies were also taken, and they were so tame that we 
had no difficulty in capturing them by hand, or with 
a small stick. We found them quite as great a delicacy 
as a squab. 

The hunting of hogs was found to be a dangerous 
service, and proved nearly fatal to some of the crew en- 
gaged in that duty. On one occasion a party of men 
penetrated some distance into the island and separated 
into pairs, supposing that they might have a better 
opportunity to start the animal. Suddenly and unex- 
pectedly a large boar with immense tusks, exceedingly 
fierce, started close by the side of two engaged in the 
pursuit. Surprised and momentarily thrown ofT their 
guard, the animal approached to within a few paces of 
them, when a musket was discharged which wounded 
him, though but slightly. Roused to madness by the 
wound, he sprang upon the man who had discharged 
his musket, and drove his tusk nearly through his leg. 
By this time the other man recovered himself and shot 
the boar through the body. 

While here we took about thirty hogs, but such was 
the heat of the climate, that we were necessarily obliged 
to salt them down as fast as they were taken. In 
flavour or sweetness, the flesh of the wild hog will bear 
no comparison with that reared for domestic uses ; that 
of the former being coarse, soft and flabby, savouring 
much of the cocoa-nut upon which they feed. 

August 1. — This was a black day in our calendar. 
Our ship was again shrouded in gloom. Joseph Davis, 
one of the armorer's crew, was engaged in catching 
young boobies on an eminence which rose eighty or 
ninety feet, nearly perpendicular from the beach, and 
covered with small rocks and stones.- With his left 
arm around the trunk of a tree and the other extended 
in the act of knocking a bird off its branch, the tree gave 
way and down he came to the beach below, breaking 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 93 

nearly every bone in his body, and dashing his brains 
out. I shall never forget that sight, being at the time 
about twenty yards distance from where he landed, 
employed in procuring wood. I ran to him as quick as 
possible, but life was extinct, and his spirit had fled for- 
ever. We conveyed him on board, where his remains 
were laid out, a coffin was made, and the next day was 
set apart for his interment. The solemnity throughout 
the ship that night surpassed any thing I had ever wit- 
nessed. The uninterrupted silence, the noiseless step, 
the sorrow depicted on the countenances of the crew, 
together with the desolation of the island, made it a 
night of woe. 

August 2. — The next morning the sun rose clear, the 
sky was serene and the face of the waters, being a dead 
calm, gave an air of solemnity which seemed respondent 
to the scene about to be enacted. The colours were 
hoisted half-mast, and breakfast being over, all hands 
were piped to attend the funeral service on shore. 

The boats were now in readiness alongside and the 
body of the deceased, over which the American ensign 
was thrown, was lowered into the launch. The boats 
were then all manned, and proceeded in regular line, 
with the launch in tow to the shore. We formed the 
funeral procession, and conveyed the corpse about three 
hundred yards to a sequestered spot, surrounded with 
trees, not unlike the weeping willow, a chosen sepulchre 
for the repository of the dead. The funeral service was 
read with great seriousness by the captain's clerk, who 
usually performed the office of chaplain, the body was 
lowered into the grave, and we returned in the same 
order to the boats and from thence on board the ship. 

August 5. — We had now completed our water with a 
large supply of wood, hogs, cocoa-nuts, &c; nothing 
remained to detain, us now but coal, which would be 
ready in two days. This last death by its suddenness 
awakened again the superstitious notions of the crew, 
and it was currently believed that we should have bad 
luck during the remainder of the voyage. So deeply 
9 



94 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

was this belief impressed upon the minds of the men, 
that it caused a general apathy, which required all the 
exertions and ingenuity of the captain and officers to 
dissipate. I recollect about this period while engaged 
in a dog-watch below, teaching Jack Sawyer his letters, 
that he broke off abruptly from his study and said — 

"Youngster, since Joe Davis tumbled off that hill 
and knocked his brains out, I've bowsed my thinking 
tacks close down to the bumpkin head. That's a lone- 
some grave-yard yonder," continued he, mournfully, "but 
what's the odds, Bill Harris says every word in the 
Bible is true; if it be so, why then, d'ye see, Joe Davis 
will come up from under hatches just the same as if he 
was decent] y sewed up in his hammock and tumbled 
into the sea; yes, youngster, I suppose it's no great 
matter whether our carcasses fill the belly of a hungry 
shark, or make grub for the worms." 

The conversation between us assumed a very serious 
air, and half an hour of the dog-watch was spent in 
reading the Bible at the request of Jack, who sat resting 
his chin upon his hand listening with the most profound 
attention. 

August 8. — Having now taken on board the coals, say 
three hundred bushels, which was the product of the 
pit, and having filled every spare vessel on board with 
water, and the necessary repairs and overhauling of the 
ship completed, we got under way, made all sail, and 
stood out to sea with a fine breeze from the northward, 
bound, as we understood, to the leeward coast. I began 
now more seriously than ever to reflect upon the whole- 
some advice received from my good old uncle, previously 
to my embarking on this voyage, especially that part of 
it on which he laid so much stress, viz., to read the 
Bible regularly. I confess I had already imbibed a 
degree of superstition, and was one among the many, 
who believed that the ship would not return to our 
native land without the loss of many of the crew. The 
awful tragedy I had just witnessed and the desolation 
of that lonely spot where the body was interred, all 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 95 

conspired to make a deep impression on my mind ; and 
I suppose to throw a shade of melancholy over my usual 
vivacity. Young as I was, being then scarcely eighteen, 
reflections on the instability of human affairs would not 
unfrequently occupy my thoughts. 

August 9. — The ship now bounded over the sea with 
a fine breeze, standing down towards the leeward coast; 
It was soon ascertained from the alteration in the course 
that we should again visit the coast, but not as far to 
leeward as was contemplated when we left the island. 
We hauled our wind accordingly, and on the 10th, 
made the coast in latitude 9° 30' north. Captain W. 
judging that we were a sufficient distance from the 
rendezvous of men-of-war, determined to go into the 
bay of Moro Hermosa, which lies in north latitude 
9° 45', west longitude 85° 5'. Run close in with the 
land and saw the bay at 2 p. m. bearing east-north-east 
four leagues distant. The necessary preparations were 
made to anchor, we stood into the bay, and at 5 p. m. 
anchored with the small bower in twenty-five fathoms 
water, distant one mile from the shore. Here as in 
almost every other port to the northward of the line, the 
surf runs very high, and the landing is attended with 
considerable difficulty. 

August 12. — This morning hoisted out three boats, 
into which were put a kedge-anchor, buoy-lines, &c. 
and as usual it fell to my lot — being bow-man of the 
second cutter, which was a light boat — to go on shore. 
[n landing as described in a preceding part of this 
work, we used the same means, viz. running a line 
ishore with one end made fast there, the other fastened 
o a buoy, which was bent to the kedge-anchor out- 
ride of the breakers. The landing being effected with 
hree boats, nothing was to be seen except two misera- 
ole huts ; to them we proceeded and learned from the 
inmates, that the village or town was situated in a 
valley about a league distant. We dispatched a mes- 
senger to give information as to the nature of our 
business. It was not long before a party of about a 



96 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

dozen Spaniards were seen riding towards the place of 
landing. Our conference with them was short; they 
appearing to have no information as to the character of 
our ship, or of the affair to windward, were anxious 
to go on board to make purchases, being as they said 
in great want of wearing apparel, as well as linens, &c. 
Consequently a very lucrative business was carried on 
with them during the few days we remained. Among 
this group of Spaniards, we were surprised to see an 
American sailor, who had arrived there a few days pre- 
vious in a small coasting vessel from Guyaquil. He 
having been in Callao, where the lugger arrived after 
the action, through him we learned her disastrous fate. 
He said the captain of the lugger was an Irishman 
and had repeatedly been on board of us ; consequently 
knew our strength and prepared the lugger for a suc- 
cessful rencounter — that he with more than twenty 
others were killed, many were wounded and the lug- 
ger was literally riddled in her hull, and her masts, bow- 
sprit, &c. cut away. This man shipped on board of us 
for the voyage. 

August 20. — The prospect of disposing of any more 
goods being now over, having got on board at least 
$40,000 in specie at Moro Hermosa, and Capt. W. not 
wishing to remain long at any one place, we got under 
way and stood to sea, keeping the coast in sight, as our 
next destination was Realejo. 

August 24. — Hauled into the land, and at 10 a. m. en- 
tered the Bay of Realejo, and anchored in twenty fathoms 
water, a mile distant from the shore This port or har- 
bour is formed by a deep bay, about four miles wide at 
its entrance, and the depth is about one league to the 
anchoring ground. It affords no shelter whatever from" 
the prevailing winds on this coast. Realejo is situated 
in the parallel of 12° 27' north latitude, and 87° 5' west 
longitude. The town consists of about thirty houses 
similar to those described to windward. The customs 
and habits of the people were likewise much the same, 
and if we had formed an opinion from their exterior ap- 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 97 

pearance, which indicated extreme poverty, we should 
not have remained long at this place ; but when we 
entered their habitations, we found all their household 
utensils were made of silver; and, to our great surprise, 
we learned from the people that they had never seen a 
vessel, except a Spanish galleon, which had touched 
there about twenty years previous ; consequently they 
were exceedingly anxious, to visit our ship. We gave 
them an opportunity to indulge their curiosity, and be- 
fore we left the place nearly all the inhabitants of the 
town had paid us a visit. They were much gratified. 
We found them to be a pleasant and agreeable people, 
and sold them a large amount of merchandise. 

September 5. — Weighed anchor this morning, stood 
out of the bay, and run down the coast under easy sail 
during the night. In the morning, September 6th, stood 
in close to the land, and saw Point Remedios, bearing 
south-east ; ran to leeward of the point, and sent two 
boats ashore — there being no surf, a landing was effected 
without difficulty. With the exception of two small 
huts, which were a little way from the beach, we learned 
that the nearest settlement was ten leagues distant. 
The people, however, offered to inform the inhabitants 
of that settlement of the arrival of the ship and the na- 
ture of our business, to all of which we acquiesced. As 
there was good anchorage to the northward of the point, 
the ship was run in and anchored in fifteen fathoms 
water, two miles from the shore. The next day, Sep- 
tember 7th, proceeded with the boats on shore, and 
found the Spaniards anxiously waiting to go on board. 
A number of them went off, and at this place we effected 
sales to the amount of about $20,000. 

September 15. — Weighed anchor and stood out, and 
as we were now approaching Acapulco, the rendezvous 
for Spanish galleons, it became necessary for us to pro- 
ceed with great caution, especially as they are always 
under strong convoy. We also received information at 
the last port, that two sail had been seen, which were 
supposed to be a galleon, under convoy of a frigate. 
9# 



98 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

From the last date until October 24th, nothing remark- 
able transpired. We touched at several small ports, and 
at every place effected sales of our cargo. 

October 25. — Weighed anchor from Puerto Veritosa, 
which lies in the parallel of 16° 6' north latitude and 
95° 22' west longitude. Our near proximity to Aca- 
pulco determined Capt. W. to stand out to sea, and 
make a good offing, so as to avoid the Spanish men-of- 
war, if any might be there. Accordingly, all sail was 
carried during this day and night. On the morning of 
the 26th it fell dead calm, and very soon the heavens 
were overspread with blackness. At 8 a. m. the rain 
began to fall in torrents, attended with severe thunder 
and the most vivid flashes of lightning that I had ever 
beheld, which continued, without intermission, until 5 
p. m. During the whole of this time not a breath of air 
was stirring, and, to add to the horror of the scene, an 
immense number of sharks were seen around us, as far as 
the eye could extend, one of which, although the an- 
nouncement may appear incredible to the reader, ex- 
tended from the forward part of the fore-channels to the 
after part of the mizzen-channels of the ship, and as she 
was one hundred and thirty-five feet long, consequently 
the shark must have been at least eighty feet in length. 
At the same time innumerable dolphins were hooked or 
grained, but were torn to pieces by the ravenous sharks 
before they could be got on board. At sunset a light 
air sprung up, and we stood away to the northward. 



CHAPTER IX. 

EXCITING CHASE AND ESCAPE SUPERSTITION OF SEAMEN FALL 

OF THE AUTHOR FROM THE FORETOP AND LOSS OF A MAN 
OVERBOARD — SAIL FOR SHELVACK's ISLAND. 

October 27. — At daylight the exciting cry of "sail 
ho f" was heard from the mast-head, bearing four points 
abaft the weather beam, and at so short a distance that 
her character was distinctly made out to be that of ar 
man-of-war. All hands were immediately called to be 
in readiness to make sail, it being the intention of Capt. 
W. to ascertain, if possible, to what nation the stranger 
belonged. As we had not altered our course, every 
doubt was soon removed, for the stranger bore down 
upon us under a heavy press of sail, displaying a large 
Spanish ensign. By this time she was nearly within 
gun-shot, and would probably gain upon us before we 
could get sail upon the ship. 

"Hard a starboard, away aloft there, and loose all the 
light sails, set studding-sails alow and aloft, haul the 
sheets close home, sway up the yards taut, haul in the 
starboard braces," were the orders given by Captain W. 
in quick succession. 

In fifteen minutes every rag of canvass was spread to 
the breeze, every sail was trimmed in a seaman-like man- 
ner, and the ship was going off, dead before the wind 
with a moderate breeze, at the rate of seven knots. We 
had now brought the enemy exactly in our wake, and 
perceived that while making sail, she had gained a little 
upon us. The utmost anxiety prevailed throughout 
the ship, for it was clear that in the last fifteen minutes 
she had neared us. 



100 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 



"Run the guns off the forecastle to the main deck," 
said Captain W. 

This order was immediately obeyed, silence prevailed, 
and every eye was directed to the vessel in chase. At 
this point the frigate made a slight yaw, a broad sheet of 
flame issued from her bow chasers, and the next instant 
a shot cut away our larboard lower studding-sail-boom. 

"Secure the studding-sail and get another boom out — 
set the spanker and haul the boom well forward with 
the guy," said Captain W. 

This was the work of a few minutes, a spar was soon 
got out and rigged, and the lower studding-sail was set 
in ten minutes. Purchases were now rigged at the 
yard arms, water was drawn up, and every sail was wet 
fore and aft the ship. The next half hour, no perceptible 
difference could be seen in the relative distance of the 
two ships. The wind had freshened, and we were now 
running at the rate often and a half knots. 

It was now evident we held way with the chase, and 
we began to entertain hopes that we might hold our 
position good until night, and under its cover to elude 
the enemy, if in the meantime the frigate did not cut 
away some of our spars, as she was now within less 
than gun shot of us. Another broad yaw and her 
forward division was sent streaming after us, but with 
so little precision that the shot fell ahead of us a con- 
siderable distance from the starboard bow. 

"Well," said an old tar, "give us two or three more of 
your broad yaws and bow chasers, and my life for it 
you'll miss your prize this day." 

But the enemy was no laggard, she held her way, 
notwithstanding the disadvantage of yawing and firing 
her bow chasers. At 8 a. m. a large shark was seen 
following in our wake, and this to a sailor is always an 
ill omen ; and in view of the circumstances under 
which we were now placed, the omen trivial as it was, 
seemed to weigh with double force upon the minds of 
the crew. The wind now blew strong, so that we were 
obliged to take in sky-sails, and royal-studding-sails. 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 101 

Again the frigate sent another message after us in the 
shape of a thirty-two pound shot, which fell a head ; at 
the same moment, having a press of sail on her main- 
mast, away went the top-gallantmast, with all the sails 
and spars connected with and above it. This appeared 
to throw them into great confusion. Three cheers were 
now given by our crew. 

"Run that long nine pounder from midships aft, and 
we will let the Spaniard hear from us," said Captain W. 

"Aye, aye !" said an old salt — who by the way was 
captain of the gun called 'Nancy Dawson.' "Nancy 
has had something to boast of in her time, and she'll 
be proud to have some small talk with that cut-throat, 
yonder." 

The gun was elevated by the old tar, who at the same 
time held a conversation with his favourite ; and when 
all was ready the order was given to fire, and imme- 
diately the stars and stripes were hoisted at the peak. 
In a short time the smoke cleared away, and with 
the aid of the glass it was perceived that her crotchet- 
yard was cut away. An exchange of shots between 
us were kept up for half an hour, during which we 
had gained upon the chase, at least a mile ; and the 
next half hour, the distance was so much increased 
between the two ships — ours being about three miles 
ahead — that the frigate gave up the chase, and hauled 
upon a wind. 

The shark before mentioned, was still in sight follow- 
ing on, although the ship was bounding through the 
water at the rate of eleven knots. Though we had got 
rid of one enemy, yet a secret dread seemed to prevail 
with many of the crew in reference to the views of the 
other still keeping us company. It was my forenoon 
watch below, and the general topic of conversation was 
about the shark. One old sailor affirmed, that while he 
was coming home from the East Indies, a shark follow- 
ed the ship three days, and that there were three hands 
on the sick list at the same time, and that on the third 
day one of the men died, was sown up in his hammock 



102 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

and thrown overboard ; and that the shark was seen 
fifteen minutes before he was launched into the deep, 
but that no man on board saw him afterwards. Another 
sailor swore that on an outward bound voyage to the 
West Indies, a shark followed the brig twenty-four 
hours ; at the expiration of which period, one of the 
crew fell from the mast-head overboard, and that the 
shark seized him as quick as he struck the water. 

At 11 a. m. the Spanish frigate was out of sight, and 
at meridian, the wind hauled to the larboard quarter, 
the starboard studding sails were taken in, and as there 
were no light sails set forward, having run all the morn- 
ing dead before the wind, orders were given to loose 
the fore- topgallant-sails, and set the larboard topgallant 
studding-sails. The top-men in the larboard watch had 
already come down from the tops, and as I belonged to 
the fore-top at this time, I sprung into the rigging ; 
another top-man following me as soon as the order was 
given. VVhile ascending the futtock shrouds, to get 
into the topmast rigging, the man-rope which had been 
fitted but a few days before, parted, causing me to fall ; 
in my descent I struck my shipmate, which broke his 
hold, and threw him overboard, while 1 caught by the 
lanyards of the fore-rigging. We rounded too imme- 
diately, and carried away many of our light spars in so 
doing ; but the poor fellow was never seen afterwards, 
and the awful tragedy of his fate was soon manifest by 
the traces of blood which were seen upon the surface of 
the water. The shark, however, was seen no more. 

October 28. — Our next destination was the gulf of 
California, but as it was probable that the frigate would 
go. into Acapulco, it was thought most prudent by 
Captain W. to delay the time of entering the gulf to a 
remoter period ; and it was therefore concluded to spend 
a month in taking seals at Shelvack's Island. 

All. sail was made, and we steered away from the 
west-north-west with a cracking breeze from the east- 
ward. From the circumstance of the chase, and the 
loss of one among the best seamen we had on board, 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 103 

taken in connection with our recent misfortunes, the 
opinion became prevalent among the crew, that our 
craft was an unlucky ship. A youthful seaman who 
belonged to Boston, said that he saw the ship when she 
was on the stocks, and affirmed that while she was 
being planked up, the staging broke down and fractured 
the scull of one man and broke the ribs of another. The 
same youth affirmed furthermore, that he had heard while 
the ship was on her second voyage to Liverpool, that a 
man was lost overboard in the night from off the main- 
topsail yard while reefing the sail. I perceived that it 
made a very deep impression upon my old topmate, 
Jack Sawyer, although he never flinched from the most 
daring enterprise or dangerous duty ; yet he would 
often remind me when aloft of the mournful fate of 
Jerry Wingate, and of my wonderful escape from the 
jaws ofthe shark. "One hand for yourself, youngster," 
said he, one night while we were furling the fore- top- 
gallant sail in a heavy squall. She was running furiously 
before the wind at the time and rolling heavily ; the top- 
sails being clewed down on the cap, she was without 
any canvass to steady her. It was a thoughtful sugges- 
tion, for at that moment, a gust of wind took the leech 
of the sail from my grasp, and threw it over my head. 
"Hold on," shouted Jack, and as quick as thought he 
sprang out on the quarter of the yard, and I felt his iron 
grasp around my body. Fortunately, the bunt-gasket 
had been made fast before the sail blew from my grip, 
or the voyage of life would probably have been up with 
every one on the yard. 

"Youngster," said Jack, after we had got down into 
the foretop, for we had both been transferred to that sta- 
tion, "1 don't half like this ship, for I have a notion we 
shall have bad luck all the cruise, and take my word for 
it this craft will not die a natural death, but come to 
some bad end. I don't know how it is but I've had 
queer kind of feelings, especially, when I saw one of 
your pins to-night looking up to these black clouds, just 
for all the world as if it was singing out for help from the 



104 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

other ; but I say, youngster, when my nipper is within 
grabbing, hold of your carcass, you're safe, or we both 
go to Davy Jones' together. Jack meant just what he 
said, for he was as true-hearted a sailor as ever floated 
upon the ocean. 

November 4. — During the preceding seven days, the 
wind continued fresh from the eastward, and the wea- 
ther generally good; occasionally however interrupted 
with severe squalls of wind and rain. This morning 
was cloudy, and appearances indicated that the island 
was not far distant, for land birds appeared, and pieces 
of wood were seen floating on the water, and indeed we 
expected to make the island that day, and were not dis- 
appointed in our hopes, for at 4 p. m. "land ho !" was 
sung out from the mast-head, bearing west-north-west, 
distant 12 leagues. Its appearance at first sight from 
its immense height, was like a cloud rising from the sea, 
but the practised eye of the seaman aloft soon distin- 
guished it to be land, from the deep blue indented lines 
and spots which marked its summit. All the light sails 
were now taken in, and the courses, jib and spanker 
were furled, and the usual preparations made for coming 
to an anchor. The distance from the island being so 
great that it was impossible to reach the anchorage 
ground before night shut in, we ran along under easy 
sail until midnight, and then hove too, the island being 
in sight. 

November 5. — At daylight the island was about six 
miles distant, and the anchorage was at the extreme 
south-west end ; bore away and stood in. At 8 a. m. 
rounded the westernmost point and anchored with the 
small bower in fifteen fathoms water, one mile from the 
shore. It cannot be said that vessels have any shelter 
whatever at this island, and it is well that in these lati- 
tudes storms of long duration are not prevalent. The 
shore, with one or two exceptions is completely iron- 
bound with rocks, which would inevitably prove fatal to 
any ship that should be so unfortunate as to be driven 
on shore. The island is high, and presents a most un- 






LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 105 

promising appearance of barrenness and sterility, the 
whole surface being nearly covered with rocks and 
stones, except here and there a spot of shrubbery or 
verdure is seen to relieve the eye from this wild and in- 
hospitable prospect. There is also a small round island 
detached from the main one by a channel half a mile 
wide, and which differs- in every respect from the larger 
island, as it is covered with trees and verdure, and pre- 
sents the most striking contrast; so much so, that the 
mind can scarcely conceive any connection ever to have 
existed between the two islands. We landed in our 
boats, and the first object we had in view was to ascer- 
tain if water could be procured. After the most diligent 
search, however, for nearly a whole day, we were dis- 
appointed, nor did we find any during our stay, except 
one very inconsiderable spring of fresh water, which 
must undoubtedly be dry many months in the year. 
With this exception, and some rain water which had 
lodged on the indented rocks, this valuable support of 
nature was not found on the island. 

We were not ashore many hours before we saw great 
numbers of seal crawling upon a sandy beach, which is 
their usual custom about mid-day to sun themselves. 
We threw ourselves on the rocks, and lay perfectly quiet 
for an hour, watching their movements. It was a cu- 
rious sight, as they evinced much sagacity in their 
arrangements for a nap, which was as follows : An old 
whig, the male seal, takes a station on the extreme right; 
the old clap-match, which is the female seal, is on the 
extreme left. Regular platoons of the younger seals are 
formed from the edge of the water to a distance of about 
fifty yards upon the beach, and what is more singular, 
the most advantageous position is chosen by each to 
back off into the water in case of attack or alarm. 
The old seals before mentioned never sleep while on 
duty. As there were but few of us on shore at this 
time, and not being prepared for killing them, we re- 
mained quiet upon the rocks until they had finished 
their nap in the hot sun, of about two hours, and then 
10 



106 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

saw them back quietly off into the water, the old seals 
being the last to submerge into the waves. The next 
day it was determined that a party, consisting of forty 
men, should land early, for the purpose of killing seals, 
and the necessary preparations were made, such as pro- 
curing clubs with an iron ring at one end, stakes, beams, 
&c. to dry the skins upon. 

November 8. — Early this morning we repaired to the 
shore, making a division of our number; one party 
taking the extreme right of the sand beach, and the 
other party the extreme left. At either end of this beach 
there were rocks, upon which the parties lay, so as to 
be hid from the seals. Upon a signal given, both par- 
ties were to rush simultaneously between the seals and 
the water, and commence the dire work of slaying as 
fast as possible. We lay on the rocks nearly four hours 
before a single seal made its appearance. At length, 
about half past ten, some old whigs and clap-matches 
came to the shore, followed by great numbers of younger 
and smaller seals. They proceeded to form in the 
same order as before described, and it was not until 
half past eleven that the last of them came on shore. 
The sun shone exceedingly warm and the seals soon 
fell asleep. There were two old sealers among the 
crew, who said it would not do to attack them for half 
an hour. This "rookery," (which is the name given 
by sealers to a large number collected together) was 
thought by the second officer, Mr. C, to contain twenty 
thousand. The time arriving for the attack, the signal 
was made, we rushed with impetuosity down the rocks 
on the beach between the seals and the water, and with 
an unsparing hand began the work of death. A slight 
blow with the club on the head was sufficient for the 
young "pups," but it was not quite so easy a task with 
the old "whigs" and "clap-matches ;" and the work of 
death with them was attended with some hazard ; es- 
pecially if, in the rencounter, the man should happen to 
fall; in that case he would be torn to pieces by these 
huge animals, for their mouths are as large as that of a 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 107 

lion. This battle caused me considerable terror, it be- 
ing the first in which I made one of the party, or had 
ever witnessed. What with the roaring of the old seals, 
maddened to desperation, and the yelping of the young 
pups, together with the shouts of the crew, formed to 
my mind, a kind of pandemonium scene, from which I 
should have been exceedingly glad to have escaped. 
The work of death was soon over, the great majority of 
the seals having made their escape to the water ; never- 
theless, we had obtained a great victory, the trophies of 
which were two thousand five hundred seals. They 
were of the very best kind of fur seal, and the work of 
skinning and beaming now commenced; but night 
coming on before it was half finished, we returned to 
the ship. 

Early the next morning we renewed our labour with 
the seal, and before the dinner hour arrived, we had 
them all finished and spread out to dry. A party of men 
straggled away to another part of the island where they 
saw a number of skeletons of the sea-elephant; but 
they were destined in this ramble to fall in with a sight 
which petrified them with horror ; it was no less than 
the skeletons of seven human beings, who no doubt 
had been left on the island for the purpose of getting 
elephant oil and seal ; and probably the vessel to which 
they belonged was lost, and these poor fellows perished, 
for want of provisions and water. This idea was cor- 
roborated, as the party fell in with the remains of a 
hut, and many places where fires had been made. 
The bones were collected together and put under ground. 
It was necessary that the seal skins should remain on 
the stake five or six days, before they would be suffi- 
ciently dry to pack away without injury, and a tent 
was erected on shore, and a party left to guard them 
against — we knew not what, except it might be some 
deer, which were seen on the hills, and they, it was 
presumed, would neither carry them off nor eat them. 
During our^tay here, we killed about seven hundred in 
addition to our former number, which made a complement 



103 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

of about three thousand two hundred skins, a valuable 
acquisition for the Canton market. 

November 11. — As we had seen a number of deer 
upon the small island, a party was sent ashore in three 
boats, to endeavour if possible to kill some of them. 
Twenty men landed and ascended in a body to the. 
most elevated part. Separating and spreading them- 
selves, they descended at the same time, shouting at the 
top of their voices, which frightened the deer, and as is 
usual with them, when hotly chased, they took to the 
water. The boat's crew being in readiness, shot seven, 
and caught two alive, one of which became so tame, 
that he would feed like a puppy about the decks, and 
we carried him the voyage round. 

November 15. — During the preceding days a part of 
the crew were employed in the* usual duties of the ship, 
while others were engaged in exploring the island. 
Nothing new or rare however was obtained from this 
inhospitable spot. We caught fish in great numbers, 
and if fresh water could have been obtained, our sojourn 
thither would have been exceedingly advantageous. 

November 16. — The skins being now completely dry, 
were packed in boxes and taken off to the ship, and 
the remainder of this day as well as the 17th, we 
were engaged in killing sea-elephants, two of which 
we captured with much difficulty, having fired about 
a dozen musket balls into their bodies, and lanced 
them until they were literally cut to pieces. Incredible 
as it may appear one of them yielded seven barrels of 
oil. 



CHAPTER X. 

SAIL FOR THE GULF OF CALIFORNIA FRIENDLY RECEPTION AND 

AGREEABLE INTERCOURSE WITH THE SPANIARDS AT GUIMAS. 

November 18. — We had now completed the object 
for which we had come to the island, and having 
remained here twenty-one days, it was the opinion of 
Captain W. that we should incur no risk in proceeding 
immediately to the Gulf of California. Weighed anchor 
at 8 a. m. made all sail with the wind from the northward, 
and steered away from the island to the eastward, the 
weather becoming cloudy, with occasional squalls and 
variable winds. The gloom had now in some degree 
worn away, and all appeared in good spirits, especially 
as it was thought we should finish the sale of our 
cargo on the coast of California, and although we had 
a long cruise before us when we should leave this 
coast, yet even in prospect it was hailed by every man 
on board as being homeward bound. 

November 21. — The last three days nothing worthy of 
note or comment transpired, every advantage of the 
shifts of wind was taken, and this day we entered the 
Gulf of California. It may be well to remark here, that 
Capt. W. was an old north-west trader, and consequently 
was well acquainted on this coast; and he was sanguine 
in the belief that two ports in California would terminate 
the business of the ship on the Spanish coast; after 
which we were to proceed northward to dispose of some 
articles, adapted to the Indians of that coast, and if pos- 
sible to procure otter skins in exchange. 

November 22. — At 6 a.m. prepared to anchor in the 

Bay of Guimas, which lies twenty leagues eastward of 

Cape Corientes. At 10 a. m., saw the town of Guimas 

and its beautiful bay — stood boldly in and anchored 

10* 



110 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

with the small bower in ten fathoms water, two miles 
from the shore. This town although small, is garrisoned 
by a fort mounting ten guns with a complement of fifty- 
men under the command of a colonel. It is a place of 
some importance, because it is the nearest port on the 
Pacific Ocean to the City of Mexico. The reason for 
our anchoring at so great a distance, was to be out of 
gun-shot of the fort, and avoid all interference until we 
could settle upon a plan of operations for trade. The 
whole of this day we waited anxiously for some com- 
munication from the shore, but as none was apparent, 
we lifted our anchor and dropped in so as to be within 
short gun-shot of the fort. This was done, in order to 
cover our boats, it being the intention to land next 
morning. During the night a sharp look-out was kept 
up. In the morning, according to previous arrange- 
ment, a boat bearing a white flag in the bows, was sent 
on shore, under the command of the third officer, with 
the interpreter. They were received very courteously 
by the colonel, and the strongest expressions of pleasure 
and satisfaction were evinced at the sight of our noble 
ship, more especially when they understood the nature 
of our business. It was said by them that no foreign 
ship had ever visited this place, and that the whole 
country was in the greatest want of articles, such as 
linens of every description, muslins, cottons, &c. None 
of those fabrics were to be had throughout the whole 
coast and country except in the city of Mexico. The 
colonel was politely invited to go on board, which in- 
vitation he immediately accepted, and no distrust or 
fear was manifested by any of the Spaniards, who had 
flocked down in considerable numbers to the beach 
where the boat landed. The boat returned to the ship 
with the Spanish colonel, who was received with the 
most marked attention, and he seemed perfectly amazed 
and delighted when he beheld the beautiful symmetry of 
our ship, her perfect cleanliness, and the order and regu- 
larity of her battery ; and no marvel, for this was the 
first time he had ever set his foot on board of a ship. 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. Ill 

He appeared to regard the ofllers and crew as a race of 
superior beings, at the same time expressing freely his 
opinion in relation to our force, which had been magnified 
by us to a much greater degree than it really was. No 
consideration, however, would induce him to permit us to 
trade, unless the consent of the viceroy could be obtained, 
of which he expressed not the least doubt, and offered to 
dispatch a courier immediately to the city of Mexico to 
obtain permission- to trade, as well as the fixed rate of 
duties. This was all fair and reasonable, and Capt. W. 
determined to wait patiently the result. As to the rate 
of duties it was a mere matter of moonshine to us, so 
that we obtained permission to sell. An invitation 
was given to the colonel to visit the ship, and""a gene- 
ral invitation was sent on shore to all the inhabitants to 
the same effect. Among our crew there were a number 
of musicians who had formed themselves into a kind of 
band, and although their music was not as ravishing as 
it might have been under other circumstances yet it 
afforded exquisite enjoyment to those who had never 
heard better. These men were ordered to keep them- 
selves constantly clean, and be in readiness to salute 
the delicate ears of the Spaniards with a concord of 
sweet sounds. In a word, the decks were cleared, and 
every thing connected with the ship, her discipline, 
cleanliness, &c. was in the most perfect order. No 
other duty was permitted to go on except the boat ser- 
vice," in transporting the Spaniards to and from the ship. 
Every morning a gun was fired and the ship was dressed 
and decorated fore-and-aft with the flags of almost every 
civilized nation, in addition to a number of signals which 
were on board. The most friendly intercourse was 
kept up between the inhabitants, our officers and crew ; 
many of the Spaniards, females as well as males, dined 
on board from time. to time ; but that which seemed to 
delight them more than anything else was our music ; 
which poor as it was, to them was a source of great 
pleasure. The great contrast of complexion, beauty 
and manliness of many of our crew, to those of the 



112 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

Spaniards, caused a number of the young Spanish dam- 
sels to lose their hearts. 

The news of our arrival having spread abroad in the 
country, great numbers nocked down and pitched their 
tents, so as to have a fair view of the ship ; and it is 
no exaggeration in stating, that at least one million of 
Spanish dollars, platina, and old plate, were lying on 
the beach in their tents, the whole brought here for the 
purpose of trade. Indeed, many of their cooking utensils 
as well as other articles of furniture, were made of silver. 
They appeared on the other hand to be destitute of 
almost every article of wearing apparel, and it was 
curious to see the Spaniards with their families. The 
dress of the male consisted of a straw hat, a camisa or 
shirt of coarse linen, and breeches of the same materia], 
with old silk stockings, procured as we understood from 
the city of Mexico, and a pair of thin slippers which 
completed his whole costume. The dress of the females 
(some of whom were beautiful, especially the younger 
part) corresponded exactly as to quality with that of the 
males, their garments were made badly and worn sloven- 
ly. Such then is the description of a Spaniard and his 
family, who had with them at least fifty thousand dol- 
lars. I have actually seen a young female, whose vest- 
ments were not worth one dollar, wearing a string of 
pearls around- her neck, which would sell in any Euro- 
pean market for a thousand. 

December 7. — This day despatches were received 
from Mexico by the Spanish colonel, granting us per- 
mission to sell the cargo, with the proviso that fifteen 
per cent, duties should be secured to the government. 
This was good news, indeed, for a few days of unin- 
terrupted business would close our operations on the 
Spanish coast. All of the officers were employed in 
effecting sales of the cargo, and so great was the demand 
for linens of every description, that, incredible as it may 
appear, coarse Irish linens sold from eighty to one hun- 
dred dollars per piece, German platillas at eighty dollars 
per piece, silk stockings eighty-four dollars per dozen, 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 113 

calicos from four to seven dollars per yard, and every 
article of merchandise that suited the buyers were sold 
in the same proportions. The men also found a ready 
sale and large prices for their private adventures. While 
our business was progressing, and that too in the most 
advantageous manner, dinner parties were frequently 
given on board to the Spaniards, and the same compli- 
ment was returned by them to the captain, officers, and 
many of the crew on shore. Thus the time passed 
away in the greatest harmony. So strong did the at- 
tachment become for our crew by the Spaniards, both 
male and female, that many of us were pressed by them 
to leave the ship and settle with them. I cannot omit 
here noticing a circumstance which took place at this 
time. A young sailor, belonging to the ship, of fine 
appearance and prepossessing manners, had the good 
fortune to captivate the heart of one of the young dam- 
sels. Her father was a rich old Don, and she an only 
daughter; and as the young sailor belonged to one of 
the boats, he consequently had frequent opportunities 
of intercourse with the fair one. He was loaded with 
presents of every description, such as ,the place could 
afford ; and when the departure of the ship was talked 
of, she would express a determination either to go in 
the ship herself, or that her lover should remain on 
shore. Matters stood thus until the time of our depar- 
ture had nearly arrived, when she importuned her father 
to obtain leave from Captain W. tor her lover to remain 
in the country ; but although he had managed this love 
affair very adroitly with the senorita, yet his passion did 
not become so violent as to induce him to abandon his 
ship and his country, and remain among the Spaniards. 
The young lady was inconsolable at his refusal, and so 
the matter ended. 

December 22. — The last fifteen days, as before stated, 
we were assiduously employed in making sales of the 
cargo, and transporting the merchandise on shore. We 
had now sold nearly all the goods, with the exception 
of about twenty cases of muslins, which did not suit 



- 114 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

that market, and some articles which were expressly 
adapted to the northern coast to barter for otter skins. 
The amount of our sales in this place was one hundred 
and forty thousand dollars ; say ninety thousand Spanish 
dollars, forty thousand dollars in old plate, and ten thou- 
sand dollars in platina and pearls. 

We filled all our water casks, got off twenty bullocks 
and great quantities of fruit ; here also were yams in 
great abundance, a good substitute for potatoes, an arti- 
cle of all others the most desirable for the ship's com- 
pany, consequently we took on board a large supply. 

December 23. — As the time of our departure was fixed 
for the 25th, a large and splendid dinner was given on 
board by Capt. W. to about fifty Spanish ladies and 
gentlemen. In the morning the ship was dressed, the 
yards were manned, and a national salute Was fired. 
The day passed off with great glee and merriment, 
and to the unspeakable satisfaction of all parties. An 
hour before sunset, when the company was about to 
return on shore, the yards were again manned, and 
another salute given, and thus ended the intercourse 
which to them was highly gratifying and to us exceed- 
ingly profitable. On the afternoon of the 24th, being 
on shore with the boats, I had an opportunity of wit- 
nessing the apparent estimation with which these people 
regarded us. They were aware that this was the last 
interview that we should have with them, and they ap- 
peared to regret it exceedingly. To some of the crew 
they presented crucifixes, and to others a rosary of beads, 
or a precious relic of some saint. One of the young 
senoritas gave a youthful sailor an image of the virgin, 
and requested him to wear it over the region of the 
heart. She assured him that it would be a protection 
in the hour of danger, &c. After having loaded us with 
presents, we exchanged the parting adieus, not without 
feelings of regret and sorrow on both sides, as we had 
spent many pleasant hours in this place. 

December 25. — Weighed anchor and made all sail 
with a fine breeze from the eastward, and stood. out of 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 115 

the Bay of Guimas to the northward. The feelings of 
regret, which seemed to pervade the minds of the crew 
on leaving this latter port, were very natural, because it 
was the first social intercourse we had enjoyed with the 
female sex sin<je our departure from Boston. But these 
feelings soon gave way to those of a more intense 
character, viz. the prospect of a speedy termination of 
our business on this coast. Captain W. resolved to 
touch at St. Joseph's as the last port, in order if possible 
to effect sales of the few cases of muslins which was all 
that remained of the cargo intended for this coast 

December 29. — Nothing material occurred during the 
last four days. At 2 p. m. saw the Bay of St. Joseph's 
bearing north-west, eight leagues, and stood in with a 
fine breeze, and anchored at 6 p. m. in seventeen fathoms 
water, two miles from the shore. This bay is in latitude 
23° 4' north, and 109° 42' west longitude. We sent the 
boats on shore next morning, and' very soon ascertained 
that no sales could be effected in this place, as the 
principal persons belonging to the town had visited 
Guimas and purchased a supply of goods from us while 
there. The inhabitants were exceedingly friendly, and 
loaded the boats with fruit. The boats returned on 
board, and when the above information was received 
by Captain W. he decided immediately to go to the 
northern coast. 

December 31. — Got under way this morning with a 
fine breeze from south-east, made all sail, and stood to 
the northward and westward, our next destination being 
the Bay of Todos Santos. The communication with the 
Spanish coast, where any danger could be apprehended 
from cruisers, was now at an end. Our cargo had been 
disposed of to great advantage, and all that remained 
were the few cases of muslins, a matter of very small 
importance, when compared to the probable detention 
of the ship to sell them, and it was expected that one or 
two ports on the northern coast would be sufficient to 
dispose of what articles we had adapted to that market. 

January 1, 1809. — The weather now became dark 



116 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

and cloudy, with occasional squalls, and although we 
were yet within the limits of the trade winds, yet we 
had no steady trades since we left the parallel of 20° 
north. 

January 2d. — We had strong breezts and cloudy 
weather which obliged us to take in our light sails. 
Indeed we had been cruising so long on the Spanish 
coast with uninterrupted fine weather and fair winds, 
that the changes which we now began to experience 
while increasing our latitude proved quite a novelty. 

January 4. — This day as well as the preceding, we 
continued under a press of sail, standing to the north- 
ward. At meridian observed in latitude 31° 29'. The 
land being in sight, stood in for the Bay of Todos Santos, 
which lies in the parallel of 31° 36' north latitude, 116° 
22' west longitude. At 5 p. m. anchored in ten fathoms 
water, three miles from the shore. 

January 5. — Sent the boats on shore to look for the 
best landing place, with orders to proceed with great 
caution ; and in no case to land if they saw any appear- 
ance of treachery amon^ the Indians. The boats pro- 
ceeded and found it difficult to land, the water being 
shoal at a great distance from the beach, and the breakers 
reaching at least half a mile outride ; although they 
were not high, yet oftentimes they would capsize the 
boats. The men however effected a landing, to the 
great surprise of the Indians and Spaniards who were 
there, and who pointed out a landing place farther to 
the westward, of much greater security. The object of 
our visit was made known to them, and several went 
off to the ship, and a trade was soon commenced in 
barter for otter skins. It is usual farther north when 
trading with the Indians, not to venture on shore 
unless some Indians are on board as hostages, but as 
here the natives had intercourse with Spaniards, they 
were neither as savage or treacherous as the north-west 
Indians. Yet it was necessary even here, to keep a 
rigid look-out, especially as they would steal every thing 
they could lay their hands on ; and when ashore it was 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 117 

necessary for us to keep within sight of the boats, or we 
should run the hazard of being stripped and robbed of 
all our clothing. We had not been there many days 
before this miserable propensity was carried out, by a 
party of the Indians stripping and robbing two of the 
men who had strayed a little distance from the boat. 
To prevent any further acts of this kind when our boats 
went on shore we detained some half dozen of the 
Indians on board as hostages. 

During the thirty-four days we remained in this place, 
the Indians collected together all the skins far and near, 
" and we succeeded in bartering away nearly all the re- 
maining articles, and received on board, in exchange, 
seventeen hundred otter skins. Although we were not 
harrassed by the fear of Spanish cruisers, neither were 
we in danger of being cut off by the Indians when on 
shore, because many of them were detained as hostages 
on board, yet those engaged in the boats were in con- 
stant alarm, on account of the surf; it requiring all the 
skill, management and fearlessness of the crews to per- 
form this service without loss of life and property. Here 
we filled up the water-casks, replenished the stock of 
bullocks, and obtained a quantity of cocoa, chocolate, 
yams, and fruit. 

February 6. — Our cargo was now all disposed of, with 
the exception of the muslin, some hardware, and two 
bales of blankets. We had in its place, six hundred 
and fifty thousand Spanish dollars, forty thousand dol- 
lars value in old plate, ten thousand in platina and 
pearls, three thousand and two hundred seal skins, and 
seventeen hundred otter skins. Now that the whole of 
our operations were closed on this coast, the next day 
we were to sail for China. 

February 7. — The day arrived, and it was a day of 
jubilee to all hands. I shall never forget the shrill voice 
of the boatswain as he that morning piped ft all hands up 
anchor, a-hoy !" neither shall I forget the merry tones of 
the drum and fife while we were running around the 
capstan, heaving the anchor to the bows. In fifteen 
11 



118 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

minutes the ship was under royals, her head canted to 
port, standing out of the bay of Todos Santos. Three 
cheers were given by the crew, the main-brace was 
spliced, the watches set, and at meridian the land had 
sunk beneath the horison in the distance, and the ship 
was running off to the southward with a strong breeze 
from the northward. 

The gloom which had so universally pervaded the 
ship's company had now entirely disappeared, owing 
partly to the circumstance that our future operations 
would be legal, but mostly to the fact that every day 
would bring us nearer to the land of our nativity. It 
was curious to behold the crew in the dog-watch on 
that night. Every countenance was lighted up with 
intense joy; mirth and merriment prevailed, while the 
extra allowance of grog was drunk to sweethearts and 
wives. The more calculating, who had disposed of 
their adventures, were summing up the whole amount 
of their gains when the cruise should be up. There 
were a large number of this latter class, but a much 
greater part of the crew had no other dependance than 
their wages, and a pretty round sum out of this would 
be deducted for clothing, which they had neglected to 
provide themselves with before leaving Boston. My old 
messmate, Jack Sawyer, preserved his equanimity, and 
took advantage of every favorable opportunity in our 
watch below to learn to read, in which he made very 
fair progress. In turn, his embracing every opportunity 
to teach me seamanship, and making me his constant 
companion at every job of work going on, was of sig- 
nal service to me. 

On this occasion, while most of the crew were push- 
ing round the flowing can, Jack seated himself on a 
chest by my side. "Now, youngster," said he, "you and 
I have got clear with whole carcasses from them cut- 
throat Spaniards, and I've been thinking that it's much 
better to sail in a fair trade above board, than to be dodg- 
ing in and out, and afraid of every craft that we fall in 
with, just for the sake of a few dollars ; why," continued 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 119 

he, "since I've heard you read that book, I've a notion 
that a clean set of papers and a fair log will be much 
better when all hands are piped at the last day to show 
their reckoning, than all the kelt we've got on board." 

"That's very true, Jack," said 1, "for all the money in 
the universe will not prolong a man's life one day, nei- 
ther will it give him a regular set of papers for his admis- 
sion into the broad bay of heaven." 

"that's just what I've been thinking," said Jack, 
"and as we've got on that tack, youngster, I should like 
to know how a poor sailor, whom nobody cares for 
when he's on shore, but just to get his whack out of 
him — I say, I should like to know how he's to keep clear 
of these land-sharks and fire-ships and steer on the 
same tack that we are now." 

"Why V" said I, "Jack, if we live to get home, if you 
will follow my advice I'll put you in the way ; but 
first you must sheer clear of swearing rocks and grog 
harbour while you are on board of this ship, and 
then it will be much easier for you to weather Cape 
Frolic when you get on shore. But, Jack, we've a 
long distance to run before we get to Canton, although 
as 1 hear we shall touch at the Sandwich Islands for a 
few days, and the probability is, that we will have an 
uninterrupted series of good weather all the passage. I 
shall therefore hold you to the promise you gave me, 
about the history of your old mother and yourself." 

"With all my heart," said Jack, shifting the quid to 
the lee side of his cheek, and slapping me on the 
shoulder with his large brawny hand, which for weight 
was not unlike a sledge-hammer, "that I will youngster, 
and as it is our first watch on deck to-morrow night, 
I'll begin that yarn for you when we get in the top." 
Eight bells were now struck, the larboard watch was 
called, who still lingered about the forecastle, unwilling 
to leave their cups and merriment, until one bell was 
struck, when the melodious voice of the boatswain's 
mate sung out "douse the glim, below !" and "larbow- 
lines all on deck, a-hoy." This order was immediately 



120 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

obeyed, the larboard watch went on deck, the starboard 
watch turned in , the lights were all put out, and I soon 
fell into a deep slumber and pleasing dreams of my 
native land, until I was aroused by three heavy sounds 
made with the forescuttle hatch ; the shrill whistle of 
the boatswain's mate and the hoarse cry of "star bowlines 
on deck, a-hoy !" The watch was soon relieved and 
the topmen took their stations. The ship was running 
along with a stiff top-gallant breeze, the wind being a- 
beam. 

Our situation in the tops was not quite as pleasant as 
when running down the coast of Peru ; but as we were 
running to the southward, to take the strength of the 
trade winds, when in the parallel of the Sandwich 
Islands, of course we expected steady winds and good 
weather. 

February 8. — This day was ushered in with strong 
breezes from the northward, and dark cloudy weather. 
As we did not expect to have any more use for our guns 
at present, they were housed and secured, the anchors 
were stowed, the cables unbent and coiled away, and 
t he/usual routine of duty , such as knotting yarns, making 
rope, repairing sails, &c. was carried on. 

The last two months, there was a scarcity of tobacco 
on board, the stock which had been laid in by the cap- 
tain had run out. Many of the seamen having used up 
their last morsel, and then resorted to the expedient of 
buying up old soldiers ; others giving five dollars for a 
plug of tobacco which would cost about six and a 
quarter cents in the United States. I have seen an old 
sailor overhaul his chest three times in the course of 
one day in search of tobacco. At length the wants of 
the men for the precious weed became so great, that 
if one was known to have any in his possession, he 
was sure to be relieved of it in some way. Many com- 
plaints were made to the captain for redress, when the 
following expedient settled the whole matter. Captain 
W. requested every man who had tobacco in his pos- 
session to bring it aft, and in the presence of the whole 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 121 

crew he made for it the very liberal offer of three dollars 
per pound which was accepted. He then dealt it out 
at the same rate, in equal proportions to every tobacco 
chewer. This had the desired effect to put an end to 
all farther strife. Indeed on this, as well as on many 
other occasions it seemed to be the studied object of 
Captain W. that harmony and good will should prevail, 
fore and aft the ship. No act of tyranny was ever allowed, 
and contempt or disobedience of orders on the part of 
any of the crew, did not meet with corporal chastisement, 
but a punishment in such a way that the offence was 
never afterwards repeated. I recollect that a passion for 
gaming was contracted among the crew, and indulged 
in to such an extent, that some of the sailors lost all 
their clothing, and^ annoyed the watch below at night 
with their cards, after eight bells were struck. This 
soon reached the ears of the captain, who issued a 
peremptory order to desist from the practice. 

: The passion, however, was so strong, that the order 
had not the desired effect. The crew were then all 
ordered on deck, the evils of gaming expostulated upon 
by Captain W. and what would be the inevitable result, 
discord, quarrelling, fighting, &c. "Now men," said he, 
"if after this, I find you still persist in gaming, I shall 
not only stop your grog for the voyage, but I shall keep 
all hands on deck until I am satisfied you implicitly 
refrain from this unhappy passion." All this however 
did not put an end to gaming, and the determination 
of Captain W. was put in execution. All hands were 
kept on deck, and the grog stopped. In a few days 
however, the more resolute part of the crew collected all 
the cards together and delivered them to Captain W. < 
and the crew promised implicit obedience, if he would 
restore to us our watch below, grog, &c. This was 
done, and here the matter ended, and there was no 
gaming on board during the remainder of the voyage. 
The dog watches being ended, and the tops relieved, 
Jack Sawyer and myself and two other topmen were 
soon stowed away in the fore-top, Jack and myself 
11* 



122 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

took our stations on the weather side, while the other 
two rolled themselves up in the staysails for a nap; and 
Jack, after replenishing his nip with a fresh quid of the 
weed, according to promise, commenced his yarn. 



CHAPTER XL 

JACK SAWYER^ NARRATIVE COMMENCED ARRIVAL AT THE 

SANDWICH ISLANDS DESCRIPTION OF OWYHEE, &C. 

"As near as I can work it out, I am now about forty 
years old. I was born in Marblehead, my parents were 
poor, my father followed fishing, and my mother took 
care of the house and the children, as there were three 
of us, and sometimes took, in work to help my father to 
support us and give us a bit of schooling. I didn't get 
much of it, and what I did get I soon forgot. Matters 
went on pretty snugly this way until I was about eight 
years old, and my father then took me out on a cruise 
of fishing. I followed this business two years, and then 
our fishing game was knocked up. I can just recollect 
the great talk there was about the revolution, and the 
rebels, and it was not long after this, before my father 
went in a cruiser fitted out by the colonies, and lost his 
life in an engagement with an English sloop-of-war. 
Old mother was now left alone in the world, with three 
of us towing astern. After this, she had to pull against 
wind and tide, and as I told you before, youngster, she 
would often read that book and give us good advice. 
Matters went on in this way until I was twelve years 
old, and then I thought I was big enough to get my 
own living, so I told mother I would go to Boston, and 
get a voyage ; for I always had a notion of the sea, ever 
since I went with father a-fishing. My poor old mother 
didn't like this much ; she told me there was nobody 
cared for poor little Jack, and that I was too young to 
take care of myself, and besides when you get to Boston 
you'll have to go out in a cruiser of some kind, and then 
mayhap you may fall in with a king's vessel, and share 



124 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

the same fate as your poor father. And then she could 
say no more. 

"'But,' says I, 'mother, I am strong enough to work, 
and lend a hand to help you along, for many times we've 
not enough to eat, and I can't stand it, to see you giving 
up all the food, and working for us. No, no ! that I 
can't' 

" 'God Mess you, my poor boy,' said old mother, and 
after many chats like this, she consented that I should 
go to Boston. Well, all my duds were got ready, and I 
tell you they wouldn't have filled a very large chest. 
In the meanwhile I got much good advice, but she said 
most about keeping the orders of a neat little Bible, 
which she gave me, and said 'although my poor boy you 
can't read much, yet if you go to sea, mayhap you may 
fall in with some shipmate who will learn you.' Well — 
the day came when I was all ready to make a start ; my 
stock was snugly packed up, old mother taking care to 
stow away the little Bible. I shall never forget that 
time ; I had my bundle on my back, and a letter in my 
hand to an uncle in Boston. 'God bless you, my boy, 
remember your mother's advice, and if God spares your 
life to get back from sea, come home ; any way, let me 
hear from you as often as you can.' She could say no 
more for crying, and I just remember that I sobbed out 
to her 'I will, I will,' so I shut my eyes and started 
upon a half run." Here the narrator seemed as if he 
were acting the same scene over again. 

At this point the narration was broken off, by an order 
from the officer of the deck, to .take in studding-sails and 
royals, the wind having freshened, and heavy black 
clouds were rolling up from the northward. This duty 
being performed, eight bells were struck and the watch 
relieved. 

February 13. — During the preceding five days the 
wind was variable and the weather squally. Every 
advantage was taken of the shifts, to get within the fair 
limits of the trade winds. Observed this day at noon 
in latitude 25° 30' north, and longitude by lunar obser- 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 125 

vation was 133J° west. At sunset the wind hauled to 
north-north-east, with clear pleasant fine weather; set 
studding-sails alow and aloft, with every yard of canvas 
that could be spread upon the ship to advantage. 

February 14. — The trade wind increased and became 
steady with fine clear weather. We took advantage of 
this to overhaul and clean the between decks and fore- 
castle throughout ; and it was remarkable that with the 
exception of the two wounded men and the carpenter, 
we scarcely ever had any on the sick list off duty. 
This no doubt was principally owing to the great pre- 
caution taken to provide fresh provisions as often as pos- 
sible, together with the cleanliness of the ship and crew. 
Thus far no appearance of scurvy was indicated and the 
crew were generally in the most healthy condition. 

February 17. — Nothing of importance transpired for 
the last three days ; the wind continued steady from the 
north-east, the sea smooth, and the weather fine. The 
ship was new making about three and a half degrees of 
longitude per day, and we. had reached the parallel of 
22±-° north latitude, our longitude by lunar being 140° 
west. 

February 18. — At daylight this morning, a sail was 
seen on the larboard beam, but at so great a distance 
that we could not ascertain her character from the mast- 
head with the glass. She appeared to be standing to 
the westward, but we soon lost sight of her. 

As we now had steady winds and fine weather and it 
was our first watch on deck to-night, my old messmate 
promised to resume his narrative. The dog watches 
were spent with unusual mirth and merriment; all 
hands were piped to mischief, the forecastle and main 
deck being given up to the crew, and the scenes which 
followed were truly ludicrous. Two hours were spent 
in this way, and the next hour four or five different 
parties of the crew were tripping away the merry dance 
to the sweet sounds of our ravishing band. The utmost 
good humour and harmony prevailed throughout. Sup- 
per being over, eight bells struck, the starboard watch 



126 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

was called on deck, and taking their several stations, 
silence soon prevailed throughout the ship, she running 
at the rate of seven miles per hour under a clear star- 
light night and a cloudless sky. 

After we had got snugly fixed in the fore-top, Jack 
Sawyer resumed his yarn, as follows : 

"To make along story short, I got safe to Boston, how, 
I hardly know, but I believe I rode part of the way in a 
cart, and the rest of it I took my land tacks aboard, and 
trotted along on shanks mare. I soon found out my 
uncle, and a clever old soul he was, for he took me to his 
house, and told me to stay with him until he could get 
me a berth. Well, this was soon done, for in three days 
he told me he had got a berth for me on board the 
H , mounting sixteen guns and carrying one hun- 
dred and twenty men ; that 1 was to go in the ward- 
room to wait upon the officers. The craft was soon 
ready for sea, and my old uncle, God bless him, rigged 
me out with a chest of clothes for the cruise. 

"Well, I recollect we sailed sometime in March, be- 
cause it was cold and squally weather ; and before we 
got clear of the bay we had well nigh lost the craft in a 
north-easter on the Cape. We had not been out many 
days, before I overheard them talking in the wardroom, 
that we were going to the southward to cut off the 
English West Indiamen. It was a cut off to be sure, 
for the next day we fell in with an English frigate on 
our weather-beam ; and after a chase of five hours she 
overhauled and took us, and we were just clapped on 
board of her, like so many dogs they swearing that they 
would hang us all up at the yard-arm, for being found in 
arms against the king. Here was the beginning of my 
troubles : our crew were treated worse than brutes, I 
came off a little better, I suppose because I was a young- 
ster. A few days after this, we fell in with the English 

frigate S -, they put me on board of her with fifteen 

of our men, who had entered into the English service. 
This frigate was bound to the West Indies to join as 
convoy the homeward bound West India fleet. 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 127 

"I was entered on the frigate's books without leave or 
license, and soon found out by the gruff usage, that 1 
had to mind my p's and q's. Well, we got to Jamaica, 
and the fleet was ready for sea ; so after watering and 
provisioning the frigate, we got under way, the convoy 
consisting of a seventy-four, our frigate and a sloop-of- 
war, and stood to sea with a fine breeze. Nothing tran- 
spired until we got clear of the passages, and then you 
would have laughed to see how the yankee privateers 
and cruisers picked out the ships from the fleet. One 
morning after a dark and squally night, seven large 
Jamaica-men were among the missing. I shall never 
forget how the skipper of our frigate swore, and cursed 
the yankee rebels, because they would not show him 
fair fight in the day time. After we had been out about 
fifteen days, one morning we gave chase to a strange 
sail to windward of the fleet. L heard a good deal of 
bragging about catching the sail, for they said the fri- 
gate was the greatest heeler in the service. Well, we 
chased her six hours, and we didn't gain on her an 
inch, so we joined the fleet again that night, and the 
next morning one of the largest Jamaica-men was off, 
and by the time we got into Portsmouth, eleven sail of 
the fleet were missing. 

" After we got to England, I was turned over to the 

W , seventy-four, which was under sailing orders 

to join the fleet of Admiral J. When on board this 
ship I mixed with the sailors, and soon larnt all the 
tricks of a man-of-war's-man. Two years soon went 
off and I got to like a 'man-of-war,' although poor old 
mother would sometimes come across my mind, and 
then I hove a sigh or two, and thought I would like to 
be at home again. But these thoughts soon wore off, 
for I tell you that a man-of-war is no place for whining." 

Here the thread of Jack's yarn was cut short, by the 
helmsman singing out "eight bells." The watch was 
relieved, and I soon lost ail recollection of Jack and his 
narrative by falling into a deep sleep. 

February 19. — This day was ushered in as the past 



128 LIFE ON, THE OCEAN. 

few days had been with fine breezes and pleasant 
weather. Lunar observations were taken, and a course 
shaped to make the island of Owyhee, and as we were 
now drawing near to the Sandwich Islands, we saw a 
number of aquatic birds, such as hover about the land, 
being generally a sure indication of its vicinity. We 
anticipated much gratification while there, because of 
the abundance of the fruit and vegetables which in 
those days could be purchased for a mere trifle ; and we 
also anticipated much pleasure in our intercourse with 
the natives on account of the peculiar gentleness and 
docility of their character, of which I had heard much 
from some of the crew who had visited the islands on 
their former voyages. 

February 20. — As usual in along course of fair winds 
and fine weather, nothing occurred to interrupt the 
monotony, except the excitement produced by the an- 
ticipation of our visit to the islands, which served as a 
general topic of conversation in the forecastle. My 
messmate, Jack Sawyer, made rapid progress in learning 
to read ; every opportunity was embraced by him in his 
watch below to effect this result, which appeared to be 
the height of his ambition. Indeed the forecastle was 
more like a school than any thing else ; the elementary 
branches of education were taught, as well as the 
sciences of navigation and mathematics, by our young 
shipmate, Wm. Harris, who, as before stated, was an 
under graduate of Harvard University. It was a com- 
mon circumstance to see at meridian, in a clear day, 
from twenty to thirty of the crew, with their quadrants, 
measuring the altitude of the sun, to determine the 
ship's latitude, and we knew the position of the ship in 
the forecastle by our reckoning and lunar observations, 
as precisely as the officers in the cabin. 

February 21. — The trade winds had become lighter, 
and the weather was unusually warm. It was rumored 
in the forecastle that we were to celebrate on the mor- 
row the birth day of Washington, the father of our 
country. I knew not how it was to be celebrated, ex- 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 129 

cept with an extra allowance of grog and a fresh mess, 
the most acceptable treat with which the crew could be 
regaled. As to the fresh mess, that was entirely out of 
the question,' for all our fresh stock consisted of three 
terrapins, the remains of the Gallipagos Islands, and a 
few fowls ; the bullocks which we obtained at the Bay 
of Todos Santos having been killed and salted. 

The day of jubilee, February 22, however, arrived. 
The sun rose, and not a cloud obscured its disk in 
ascending from beneath a perfectly well-defined hori- 
zon ; the wind was fresh and the sea smooth, and the 
ship was running majestically over the waves under a 
press of canvas, yet so steady that . her motion could 
scarcely be felt on deck. The scene was in perfect 
harmony with the feelings that universally prevailed 
throughout the ship's company. The usual and cus- 
tomary morning duties were performed, such as hauling 
home the sheets, swaying up the yards taut, washing 
down decks, &c. At 8 a. m. the stars and stripes were 
run up at the peak, and a salute of twenty-one guns 
were fired, no other duty but that which was necessary, 
such as trimming sails, &c. was carried on ; an extra 
allowance of grog was served out, but instead of the 
fresh mess we had a pudding, or, as a sailor would say, 
duff, which was made by mixing the flour and a portion 
of fat taken^from the slush barrel until it was of a pro- 
per consistency, and then poured into a bag and boiled. 
Sometimes this delightful mess, after being cooked, is 
so intolerably hard that it almost might be thrown over 
the fore-yard and not break to pieces in its fall; notwith- 
standing this, it is a very grateful dish to a sailor who 
has been a long time at sea, especially when it is eaten 
with molasses. The day passed off with great good 
humour, and closed with a ball on the main deck and 
forecastle. We were now rapidly approaching the island 
of Owyhee, and expected, from our lunar observations, 
to see the high land at daylight in the morning. 

February 23. — At day dawn the wind became light, 
and when broad daylight was ushered in, our expecta- 
12 



130 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

tions were realized by the welcome sound of "land ho!" 
from the mast-head, which, at first, appeared like a dark 
spiral cloud rising from the horizon. The computed 
distance from the island was at this time one hundred 
miles, which seems scarcely credible, yet it is nevertheless 
true ; for the high mountain of Owyhee is elevated more 
than one thousand feet higher than the peak of Tene- 
riffe. We ran all that day and night until 2 a. m. Hove 
to until 6 a. m. On the 24th made all sail, the wind being 
light till meridian, when a fresh breeze sprung up, which 
obliged us to take in all our light sails. On approach- 
ing the island, a number of canoes were seen in shore 
of us, and although the ship was running at the rate of 
ten knots, yet the canoes kept way with us. Every 
preparation was made to bring the ship to an anchor. 
Capt. W. being well acquainted with the landings, stood 
boldly in to Karakakooa Bay, and anchored in fifteen 
fathoms water, about a mile from the landing place. 
At 3 p. m. we were visited by the king, Tamaamaooa, 
who came off escorted by six war canoes, which were 
lightly constructed, yet they were of great beauty, and 
as regards speed, nothing that floats of the same length 
can excel them. Each of the canoes had an outrigger 
which is taken up or let down at pleasure to prevent 
capsizing in sudden flaws of wind. 

With the exception of the king and two $f the prin- 
cipal chiefs, the natives were almost in a state of nature 
as regards clothing, having nothing about them except 
what they termed a u tappa^ which is a piece of cloth 
made of grass thrown around their loins. The king 
and two chiefs, however, in addition to this species of 
dress, had a piece of red broadcloth, (no doubt purchased 
from a ship that had touched here,) which hung loosely 
over the back, forming a kind of mantle, and secured in 
the front with a gaudy ribbon, topped off with some 
feathers sewn together to form a head-dress. These 
chiefs were received in the most polite manner by Capt. 
W., and in return they gave us a hearty welcome, and 
promised to afford every facility in procuring refresh- 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 131 

merits, the principal object of our visit to the island. 
After a stay of about an hour, during which they were 
treated with great kindness, Capt. W. gave them many 
presents, at which they expressed much satisfaction and 
then took their leave. 

February 25. — At daylight, many canoes- came off 
filled with the natives both male and female, bringing 
with them almost all kinds of tropical fruits, together 
with yams, tarra-root, a good substitute for potatoes ; 
also geese, fowls and hogs, which are abundant in these 
islands. The only point of difference in the dress of 
the females, was that the colour of the cloth worn around 
the loins was more gaudy. Indeed they were almost in 
a complete state of nature. The males were in general 
small in stature and slightly formed. The females 
were finely proportioned, their forms symmetrical, their 
countenances pleasing, with features corresponding more 
to the European stamp than the Indians of either North 
or South America. We found them perfectly harmless, 
and exceedingly gentle and docile in their disposition, 
and all eager to trade, although they neither cared for 
or understood the value of money. Cutlery, gaudy 
strips of cloth, and iron hoops, were the principal articles 
they wanted in barter for their fruits, hogs, &c. I have 
seen a hog weighing one b ;ndred pounds bartered for 
a piece or iron hoop a luul in length. We found tropical 
fruits of every description in abundance, which were 
purchased for a mere trifle, and which proved salutary 
to the crew as an excellent anti-scorbutic. One party 
was sent on shore to procure water and another to get 
wood; this duty was performed with but little difficulty, 
the king ordering the natives to fill our casks and roll 
them down to the beach. They cut and piled large 
quantities of wood near to the landing, consequently 
the wooding and watering was soon completed. I made 
a visit to the burying place of Captain Cook, a beautiful 
sequestered spot, of a circular form, surrounded with 
banana, and cocoa-nut trees, the grave occupying the 
centre of the circle. The natives on approaching this 



132 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

place, seemed to be awed into a profound reverence ; 
and as two of our men, who had been at these islands 
several times, spoke the language of the islanders, in 
conversation with them, they expressed unfeigned sor- 
row at the unfortunate circumstance, which caused the 
death of this great chief, as they termed him ; they also 
informed us that once in every year all the natives 
assembled here to perform a religious rite in memory of 
his lamentable death. 

We were treated with the greatest hospitality and 
kindness during our stay. Large parties of the crew 
were often sent on shore to exercise, and we made 
frequent excursions to the interior of the island, falling 
in with a number of small villages, the residents of 
which always treated us with the same hospitality and 
kindness, as those did bordering on the sea shore. In 
one of those excursions, a party of us ascended to a 
considerable height on the mountain, which is seen at 
so great a distance seaward ; and on the top of which 
is a volcano constantly sending forth liquid flames and 
lava. We had not however reached half its summit, 
before the atmosphere became so dense and the air so 
cold, that we were obliged to retrace our steps. The 
islanders have a tradition, in reference to this mountain 
and volcano, and believe- that a superior being in- 
habits the --cxaier, winch aUh.;. b k fcriseeii, they woi- 
:kip with the most profound adoration. We found but 
one white man (an Englishman) on this island ; he 
called himself by name, John Young ;. and it was said 
by some of our crew, that he was one of the mutineers 
of the "Bounty," of famous memory, who had escaped 
from the island in a boat, and was picked up by a 
whaler, which brought him here. He informed us he 
had been on the island three years, but no information 
could be obtained from him further than that he had 
left a whaling ship. He was a man of great authority, 
next in power and rank to the king, having rendered 
essential service in the frequent wars he incurred with 
the other islands. It was by his skill and courage that 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 133 

Tamaamaooa subjugated the island of Mo wee. I have 
before stated that these islanders were nearly in a com- 
plete state of nudity, but I have rarely seen more respect 
paid to the laws by which they are governed, and the 
maintenance of equal rights of life, property, &c, than 
among this people. 

As yet few of the vices of civilized life were prevalent ; 
the use of ardent spirits was rare, and drunkenness was 
considered a crime and punished with severity. 

The worship of the true God was not known among 
them, except what little information they had received 
from John Young, which at the best was exceedingly 
vague. Many moral precepts by which civilized society 
are regulated, were either wholly unknown or not prac- 
tised ; such as the inviolability of conjugal life, for 
polygamy was universal among them. Although each 
one had a plurality of wives, yet they are considered as 
a kind of property, consequently the right of each was 
universally respected. They are idolators of the grossest 
kind, worshipping a variety of hideous images, wrought 
by their own hands, as well as the unknown being, 
before mentioned, in the volcano. With all these un- 
pleasant features in their character, they were neverthe-. 
less kind and hospitable in the extreme, and I always 
felt myself perfectly safe when on shore, although 
frequently surrounded by thousands of them. There 
are perhaps no people in the world as expert at swim- 
ming as these islanders. Our ship was anchored at least 
the distance of one mile and a quarter from the shore, 
and it was as common for the females as well as the 
males to swim off to the ship and then swim on shore 
again, as it was for them to come and go in their 
canoes ; although the waters are infested with sharks, 
which by the way they did not appear to notice more 
than other fish, and it is not unfrequently the case, that 
two . of these islanders will attack and kill a shark in 
the water, and then swim on shore with it as a trophy. 

March 13. — We had now been here seventeen days ; 
the crew were completely recruited, our watering and 
12* 



134 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

wooding were finished, and we procured a large number 
of hogs, but were obliged to take them away alive, not 
being able to procure salt ; and indeed if we could, we 
should not have been able to cure the pork in this 
climate. We had also procured a large quantity of fruit, 
as well as the tarra-root; but the stock of yams was 
small, in consequence of which Captain W. was deter- 
mined to touch at another of the islands to procure them. 
The entire object of our visit to this island being now 
completed, to the great satisfaction of all on board, and 
after distributing many little presents among the natives, 
we bid them a long adieu, to their apparent sorrow and 
regret. At 10 a. m. we weighed anchor, made all sail 
with a fine breeze from the north-east, and stood away 
to the westward, with the intention of touching at the 
island of Atooi. 

The island of Owyhee, or Karakakooa Bay, lies in the 
parallel of 19° 28' north and 155° 57' west. It is the 
most easterly of the group, and of a triangular form, 
nearly equilateral. The angular points constitute the 
northern, southern and eastern extremities. The cir- 
cumference of the whole island is said to be 255 geo- 
graphical, or about 293 English miles. Its breadth is 
said to be 24 leagues, and its greatest length, which lies 
nearly in a north and south direction, is 28J leagues. 
The country rises inland, with a gradual ascent, and is 
intersected by narrow deep glens, or rather chasms. It 
seemed to be well cultivated, and to have many villages 
scattered about its surface. Owyhee is by far the largest 
of the whole group. Formerly all these islands were 
governed by the kings of Owyhee and Woahoo. A short 
time previous, to our arrival here, however, with the aid 
of the Englishman before mentioned, in a ship belong- 
ing to the king of Owyhee, they made a descent upon 
Woahoo and completely conquered and subjugated the 
island to the power of the king of Owyhee. 

The wind continued fresh, and at 2 a. m. we passed 
the island of Mowee. We stood on our course to the 
westward during this day and night. 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 135 

March 14. — At daylight passed the islands of Tahoo- 
rowa and Ranai, and at 4 p. m. passed the island of 
Woahoo. During the night the wind continued strong 
from the north-east. 

March 15.— At 8 a. m. saw the island of Attoi, bear- 
ing west by north, distant ten leagues. At meridian 
hauled in to the Bay of Whymoa, and when sufficiently 
near the landing hoisted out two boats and sent them on 
shore to procure yams, the ship standing off and on in 
the meantime, Capt. W. not deeming it necessary to 
anchor. At 4 p. m. the boats returned, not being able 
to procure more than twenty baskets, and as we had 
now no further business at these islands, and being well 
stocked with fresh provisions, vegetables, fruits, (fee. 
made all sail and bore away for Canton. During the 
remainder of this day we were employed in unbending 
and coiling away the cables, stowing the anchors on the 
the bows, clearing the decks, &c. preparatory to the long 
run which was before us. Throughout the night the 
wind continued fresh and the weather exceedingly 
fine, with a cloudless sky. Life and animation prevail- 
ed throughout the ship's company. As the former 
gloomy occurrences wore away, and the thoughts of 
the land of our birth— being now homeward bound as 
it were — took possession of every mind, the exhilirating 
change induced a buoyancy of spirits to all on board, 
except to Capt. W. whose countenance was sometimes 
enshrouded with gloom, probably owing to the loss of 
life we had sustained in the action on the coast of 
Peru. 

My old messmate, Jack Sawyer, had not slackened 
his studies while at the islands, but as he used to say 
when there, "that as we were neither at sea, nor on shore, 
nor in harbour, so he couldn't larn much there, but 
now that we had fairly got into blue water, with all our 
canvas spread to the breeze, he would turn to, with a 
will and hoist it in as fast as possible, and in time, spin 
the remainder of his yarn before we arrived at Canton." 
March 16. — This day the wind settled into a fine 



136 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

north-east trade, and every yard of canvas was spread 
that could be set to advantage. Our latitude at meri- 
dian was 21° north, and longitude from the last depar- 
ture was 162° west. The watches were once more 
regulated ; every man on board knew his station, and 
the duties of the ship were performed with the usual 
system and promptness. The most intense application 
was made by many of the young seamen to acquire not 
only a perfect knowledge of seamanship, but of naviga- 
tion also. 

. The finest opportunity that can be afforded to a young 
man who intends to follow a sea-life, is in a well-regu- 
lated merchant ship on similar voyages to the present one, 
or to and from the East Indies. There are many advan- 
tages on these voyages that are not to be found in the 
European, West India or Brazil trade; for usually, on 
long voyages, watch and watch is given, or at least the 
forenoon watch below, and as there is generally a long 
series of fair winds and fine weather, consequently the 
watch below is seldom or never called up in the night 
to reef topsails, &c. and therefore have a sufficiency of 
time for rest, and the watch below in the day time may 
employ themselves in study. Again, there are various 
duties on those voyages which are of vast importance to 
a young seaman, and which are scarcely ever performed 
on short voyages, such as making new sails, laying rope, 
building boats, and more particularly still, that of strip- 
ping and overhauling a ship's rigging ; that is, to send 
down every yard and mast — except the lower masts — 
and then strip the yards and overhaul the stops, take 
all the rigging from off the mast heads, then get it on a 
stretch, and strip off the service and parcelling, tar the 
rigging, heave on the service and parcelling afresh, seize 
the eyes of the rigging, and then clap it over the mast 
heads again. This is a very essential part of a sea- 
man's duty, and one necessarily to be attended to on 
long voyages, as you are thereby enabled to discover 
whether there are defects either in the rigging or spars. 
It is sometimes the case that a young man serves an en- 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 137 

tire apprenticeship in the European trade, without having 
the privilege of lending a hand to strip a ship, or even 
to witness that duty executed. Another great advantage 
to a young man. on those voyages is, that he is not so 
frequently thrown into scenes of dissipation, which is a 
prolific source in forming dissolute habits, so common 
among old sailors, because, when a ship is at anchor in 
the East Indies, she generally lies in a roadstead or 
harbour, consequently the crew live on board, and are 
seldom permitted to go on shore, except on ship duty. 
This is not the case in the European trade, for it is al- 
most a matter of impossibility to keep a ship's crew on 
board a single night, especially in England. 

March 20. — During the preceding four days, nothing 
transpired of importance to interrupt the usual monotony 
resulting from a long spell of fair winds and good wea- 
ther. I have sometimes almost desired, after the wind 
continued fair from the same quarter for a length of time, 
to have a shift ahead merely for the sake of creating an 
excitement; indeed, I have often heard old sailors grum- 
ble at the continuance of a fair wind, and this was the 
case with some of ours at this time. Now that we were 
clear of the Spaniards they did not care how long the 
voyage was lengthened, so that they might have a heavy 
whack, as they called it, when the cruise was up. Cer- 
tainly this ship was an exception to the generality of 
vessels, and if good discipline, kind usage, with a suf- 
ficiency to eat and drink, and ample spare time for all 
purposes of improvement, could make an agreeable ship 
and comfortable voyage, this was undoubtedly our con- 
dition. Young as I was, and surrounded with a variety 
of characters, differing essentially from associations 
and habits met with previously to embarking in a sea- 
life ; I nevertheless, felt contented and happy. I had a 
messmate who was, in all respects, just such a one as I 
had often conceived in my warm imagination, a sailor 
to be; this companion and friend was the fearless, 
honest and true-hearted Jack Sawyer, one in whom I 
felt an indescribable interest, and had reason to believe 



138 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

it was reciprocated on his part. While Jack and myself 
were engaged this day in his favorite study of learning 
to read, he promised to take up his narrative that night, 
as it was our first watch on deck. 



CHAPTER XII. 

JACK SAWYER RESUMES HIS NARRATIVE PASSAGE TO CANTON, 

The watch being relieved, Jack Sawyer and myself 
were once more quietly seated on the weather side of 
the fore top, the ship was bounding over the wide waste 
of water under a press of canvas at the rate of seven 
knots an hour, the night was clear and cloudless, and 
soon a profound silence reigned. Jack resumed his 
narrative as follows : 

"I forgot to tell you when I was shipped on board 

the frigate S -, I lost part of my clothes, and among 

the rest the little Bible which poor old mother gave me. 
This was the worst job of all, for it is a rare thing to see 
a good book among a set of man-of-war's-men. Well, 
as I was saying, I was transferred aboard the seventy- 
four, W , destined to join the fleet under admiral J. 

off Cape St. Vincent, to watch the Spanish fleet. Well, 
some where about April, five sail of the line joined the 
fleet in Lisbon, making in all sixteen sail. So in a short 
time the admiral received news that the Spanish fleet 
was out ; and no time was lost in getting under way to 
go in search of them. We lost one of our ships, a three 
decker — she got aground and was obliged to go back to 
repair damages. On the morning of the 13th we were 
joined by another ship of the line, in which was Captain 

N , who brought information that they had been 

chased by the Dons, and that the whole Spanish fleet 
was out in search of them. 

"Our admiral made signal to prepare for action and 
keep close order ; that is, to stick the flying jib-boom into 
the starn windows of the ship ahead ; and we kept close 



140 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

enough, for a man might walk over every ship on the 
lee and weather line of the fleet. Every now and then 
we heard the signal guns of the Spanish fleet to wind- 
ward, and all eyes were trying to peer through the fog to 
catch a glimpse of them. In the morning at five bells, 
the van-ship made a signal that part of the Spanish fleet 
were in sight. The signal was again made by the 
admiral to prepare for action, but he might have saved 
himself the trouble, and the wear and tear of the bunt- 
ing, for we were all ready, bulk heads down, screens up, 
guns shotted, tackles rove, yards slung, powder filled, 
shot on deck, and fires out. At six bells in the forenoon 
the fog and mist all cleared away at once, and there they 
were, the whole Spanish fleet, twenty-six in number, 
three deckers and four deckers and a pretty sight to look 
at, but a great odds against fifteen ships, though, to add 
to our strength, we were packed in close order and all 
eager for the fight, while there the Dons lay, somehow 
and nohow, in two broken lines, with a great gap of 
water between them. For this gap we all steered with 
every rag of canvas set, because, d'ye see, by getting 
them on each side of us, we had the advantage of fight- 
ing both broadsides at the same time. 

a At seven bells the action commenced, the admiral 
pouring a raking fire into the Spanish admiral's ship, 
which made her bear up and fall out of the line, like a 
struck deer. The broadside of the admiral's ship bored 
such a hole in the Spaniard's stern that you might have 
drove a wagon and horses through it. We were soon 
smothered up in smoke and couldn't tell how things 
were going on, but we guessed pretty near how it was ; 
and when the smoke cleared off there lay all the Span- 
iards in a heap. So we ranged up alongside of them, 

N , in the Captain, taking the lead, passing the 

Spanish three-deckers which might have satisfied any 
reasonable man, and ranged alongside the four-decker, 
pouring his whole broadside into her, and a pretty look- 
ing riddle he made of her, knocking many of her ports 
into one, and her. scuppers running blood. But the 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 141 

Spanish four-decker ranged ahead having made a gene- 
ral average of spars and men in the old Captain. Soon 
after she fell in between two Spanish three-deckers and 
had well nigh gone to Davy Jones, but we ranged up 
between them in our ship, fresh as a daisy, and poured 
in a broadside, which quite astonished them ; they soon 
dropped astern again, for our broadsides were too hot for 
them ; but it was like jumping out of the frying-pan 
into the fire ; for at this time three or four of our ships 
came up and mauled them at so great a rate, that two of 
the Dons hauled down their colours. But we could not 
get up to the four-decker again ; she played her part 
well. This loss was soon made up, as the madcap 

N carried a Spanish three-decker by boarding, 

when his, own ship was in a sinking condition, and 
after driving the Spaniards below and securing the 
hatches, he carried another three-decker by boarding her 
from the prize which he had just taken. As soon as 

old J had settled the Spanish admiral, he, with Ave 

other ships, hauled his wind on the larboard tack, and 
weathered the Dons, then they all dashed through the 
line, the headmost ship pouring her broadside into the 
Spanish three-decker, giving her such a mortal dose 
that she never got over it, and she was left to be picked 
up by the other ships ; then she attacked a two-decker 

and hauled down her colours. As soon as the V 

ran alongside of a Spanish three-decker, down went her 
colours. And now, youngster, we had fighting enough 
in our ship, for we were yard-arm and yard-arm with a 
three-decker, pouring our broadsides into her as fast as 
we could load and fire, making daylight through the 
Spaniard at every discharge, till our guns became so 
hot that their breechings snapped like spun-yarn ; and 
while she was no ways backward at this pretty sport, 
returning compliment for compliment, which left us not 
much odds to boast of in killed and wounded. Our 
guns now becoming unmanageable, the order was given 
to put the helm a-port, and we struck her on the star- 
board bow. 'Boarders away!' shouted the Captain, 
13 



142 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

who sword in hand took the lead, clambering up the 
sides ; we fell on her deck like so many incarnate fiends, 
and rushing aft we silenced every beggarly Spaniard 
that showed fight, and in ten minutes drove them below 
and hauled down- the colours. The four-decker made a 
brave resistance against four of our ships, but was at 
last obliged to haul down her colours. But the leeward 
division of the Spanish fleet, consisting of eleven sail of 
the line, came to her assistance and finally got her off. 
Our ships were too much cut up to renew the action, 
and the admiral made a signal to secure the prizes. 
The Spanish fleet then got into line, and we lost no 
time in following their example. But we both had had 
plenty of fighting for the present. 

"The next morning the Spanish fleet were to wind- 
ward and might have brought us into action, and at 
one time they manoeuvred as if they would do so, for 

they bore up and run down toward us ; when old J 

hauled upon a wind to show the Dons that we were 
ready, seeing which they made sail and were off. 

"Well, that was the only general action that I was ever 
in, and although many a hearty fellow lost the number 
of his mess that day, and many a chap was sent off to 
Greenwich with the loss of his pins and flippers, to be 
laid up in ordinary, I did not receive a scratch. 

"I shall pass over the many years that I was on board 
of an English man-of-war, being transferred from ship 
to ship, and when I was about twenty years old, as 
near as I could make out my reckoning, I was promoted 

to a captain's coxswain on board the frigate S , in 

the channel station. In this ship we had many a dust 
on the coast of France with the batteries of Monsieur, 
and it was on this station that as we fell in with many 
an American ship, I began once more to think of mother 
and my native land. Where's the odds, thought I to 
myself, by this time old mam is under hatches and 
there's nobody cares for poor Jack ; for d'ye see I was 
then eleven years in the English sarvice, but I could'nt 
get it out of my thoughts, and I just began to contrive 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 143 

how I should get clear of the sarvice and get home to 
yankee land ; but this was not quite so easy a matter to 
do as to think about it. At last the frigate went into 
Portsmouth, and I was paid off and soon drafted on 
board the M , bound out on the East India station." 

Here the narrator closed his yarn for the present, the 
watch being called. The tops were soon relieved, and 
the starboard watch were quickly stowed away in their 
berths below. 

March 25. — During the preceding five days nothing 
unusual transpired; there being a succession of fair 
winds and fine weather. At meridian, by lunar observa- 
tion, we had compassed one half the globe, reached the 
180° of west longitude, differing twelve hours in time 
from the meridian of Greenwich. Continuing a westerly 
course round the world, a corresponding decrease in the 
east longitude is the consequence. 
• If there is any difference in the monotony of a sea 
life, that difference certainly does not exist while run- 
ning down the length of 100° of longitude, with a con- 
stant fair wind and fine weather. No change of scene 
to produce excitement is likely to take place ; and it is 
exceedingly rare to fall in with vessels, being entirely 
out of the track of those bound in a contrary direction ; 
neither do you fall in with any land in this parallel of 
latitude ; and besides it is a rare thing to see any fish, 
so that for amusement you have the sky and water to 
look on, salt beef and pork to feed on, and knotting 
yarns, making sinnet, repairing rigging, &c. to work 
on. Nevertheless, time did not hang so heavily on our 
hands, for with but very few exceptions every man had 
some plan for employment in his watch below ; to 
which he resorted as regularly as a man would go to 
his day's work on shore. Thus time rolled on, and the 
ship rolled on too, bounding over the sea, without 
interruption, but such as occasionally occur in the trade 
winds. 

April 10. — It is scarcely necessary to observe here, 
that the last few days have been passed without any thing 



144 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

remarkable transpiring, and indeed I should not have 
noted the date but for the purpose of describing a scene 
which I had not witnessed since our departure from 
Boston — a battle between a thrasher and a whale. 
Although of the same species, yet there appears to be a 
mortal antipathy existing between them. At first a 
noise was heard like a distant gun, and presently the 
combatants were visible, not being more than two hun- 
dred yards from the ship, and now the scene of strife 
began. The thrasher, raising his whole length nearly 
perpendicular out of the water, fell with incredible force 
on the back of his huge opponent, which was repeated 
several times in quick succession ; in the meantime the 
surrounding water presented a white sheet of boiling 
foam, caused by the maddening struggles of the whale, 
as throwing its flukes high in the air it disappeared for 
a short time, only to reappear upon the surface to be 
again speedily attacked with redoubled fury by the 
thrasher. The battle lasted but a few minutes, when 
the whale went down and was seen no more. It was 
said by two of our men who had been engaged in the 
whale fishery, that while the thrasher is belabouring 
the whale on the back, the sword-fish is at the same 
time annoying him below. 

April 12. — Some difficulty occurred this day of a very 
unpleasant nature, between the first and third officers, 
which was terminated by suspending Mr. C. the third, 
officer from duty. I endeavoured to give the outline of 
the character of each officer in the preceding part of this 
work. The difficulty arose from an undue assumption 
of authority on the part of Mr. G. and contempt for his 
superior officer, Mr. L. while subject to his orders in the 
watch on deck. After a suspension from duty for a few 
days the affair was amicably settled, and Mr. 0. returned 
again to his duty. I never had any very great respect 
for Mr. C. myself. Clothed with a little brief authority, 
he endeavoured to exact the most implicit obedience 
from every man under him, and in the event of any one 
failing to please him he would work them up, as a sailor 









LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 145 

calls it, which means he would set them at some very 
unpleasant job, such as tarring down the royal or top- 
gallant-rigging, or slushing the royal-mast or topgallant- 
mast, at a time when the ship was rolling heavily. I 
had several of those jobs conferred upon me in conse- 
quence as he said, of disrespect shown to him; of 
course I, as well as many others, was not a little pleased 
when he was confined to his state room. 

April 16. — This day at meridian, our latitude was 
21° 40' and longitude deduced from several sights of 
the sun and moon was 140° 30' east. From these 
observations a course was shaped to make the Bashee 
islands, and as we were now drawing up toward them, 
the trade winds were occasionally interrupted by squalls 
with heavy showers of rain. Day after day passed 
off with light winds though fair, until the morning 
of the 28th, when the cheering and exciting cry of 
"land ho !-" was sung out from the mast-head. It proved 
to be one of the group of the Bashee islands, called Goat 
Island, which by our computation is in 20° 24' north 
latitude and 121° 52' east longitude, from Greenwich. 
These islands, about sixteen in number, form the en- 
trance to the China seas, and extend in a north-westerly 
direction about one hundred and thirty miles. The two 
islands which were seen by us were rather low and 
appeared to be covered with verdure. At 3 p. m. this 
day, lost sight of them to the eastward. The winds 
now became variable and the weather dark and cloudy, 
and as we had had fair winds for about fifty days, the 
change was not at all disagreeable. 

April 29. — This morning the wind veered round to 
the north-west with dark threatening weather. Heavy 
black clouds rolled up in the western board, presenting 
every appearance of a coming storm. As it was nigh 
the period of the change of the monsoon, Captain W. 
thought it not improbable that we might have a typhon, 
which sometimes blows with such violence that nothing 
can withstand its force. As a preventive, all the light 
sails were taken in, the royal-yards, masts and topgal- 
13* 



146 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

lant-yards were sent down, and the topsails were double 
reefed for the first time during four months. At sunset 
a heavy cross sea rolled in from the north-west, with 
severe squalls of wind and rain, accompanied with heavy 
thunder and flashes of sharp, vivid lightning. It con- 
tinued thus throughout the night, but in the morning 
of the 30th, it cleared off and the wind hauled to the 
eastward, when the reefs were all shook out, the yards 
and masts sent up, and every sail was set to the flowing 
breeze. 

May 1. — The wind continued this day light but fair, 
and we saw many aquatic birds which generally hover 
near the land. We continued on our westerly course 
without any thing material transpiring until May 6th, 
when we saw the island of Pedro Blanco, at 10 a. m. 
bearing west-by-north, distant seven leagues. Thus the 
passage from the coast was made in seventy-two days, 
deducting sixteen days, the time spent at the Sandwich 
Islands. We continued running to the westward until 
sunset, and then shortened sail, the Ladrone Islands 
being in sight — continued throughout the night under 
short sail, and at daylight on the seventh the breeze 
freshening, made all sail. Saw several junks which we 
supposed to be piratical cruisers. At 5 p. m. came to an 
anchor with a small bower, in fifteen fathoms of water 
in Macoa roads, distant half a league from the land. 
Throughout the night kept a sharp look-out, as the 
Ladrone Islands at this time were infested with pirates. 

May 8. — This morning sent a boat on shore, which 
soon returned with a Chinese pilot and a chop or pass 
to proceed up the river. Throughout this day it was 
calm. 

May 9. — Got under way this morning with a leading 
breeze, and stood up the river Tigris. Saw two ships 
with American ensigns flying at their peaks. We spoke 
them and learned they were the Ann and Hope of 
Providence, and America of New York. These were 
the first American vessels we had seen since we left our 
native land ; we desired them to report us. While 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 147 

standing up the river in the night, through the negli- 
gence of the pilot, we run foul of an English East 
Indiaman, and carried away our jib-boom and fore-top- 
gallant-mast. 

On the morning of the 10th, at 10 a. m. we anchored 
at Whampoa, after an absence of one year and a half from 
our native land. We found lying here vessels of almost 
all nations, among the rest there were a number of 
American ships waiting for cargoes. Whampoa is about 
fifteen miles from the city of Canton. The river be- 
comes narrower from Whampoa and the water shoaler, 
consequently it will not admit vessels of heavy draught ; 
indeed the Chinese will not permit foreign vessels to 
approach the city nearer than the latter place. 

Captain W. and his clerk proceeded immediately to 
Canton, and orders came down the next day, to send 
up the specie with the boats well armed, as many of the 
Ladrones or pirates were lurking about the river, and 
could not be distinguished from the Chinese boats in 
general. In four days the specie as well as the skins 
were all safely landed in Canton. We now commenced 
stripping the ship to her girt-lines. As this duty has 
been described in the preceding part of this work, it is 
unnecessary to enter into detail; suffice it to say, that 
every yard, mast and cap, as well as every piece of rig- 
ging were sent down on deck, nothing being left but a 
single block at each mast-head with a rope or girtling 
rove through it, both ends of which were on deck for 
the purpose of swaying the rigging aloft after it had 
been overhauled. This is what sailors call stripping a 
ship to her girt-lines, and a very necessary and impor- 
tant duty it is, especially for young seamen. In our ship 
the work was divided between the two watches, the 
starboard watch taking the foremast and bowsprit, and 
the larboard watch the main and mizenmasts. In the 
performance of this duty, I was as usual the partner of 
my old messmate, Jack Sawyer, and a better sailor never 
clapped a gang of rigging over a ship's mast-head. He 
taught me how to unrig and rig' a ship; and in the 



148 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

duty which was now going on, I became something of 
a proficient through his instruction, for I soon learned 
how to turn in a dead-eye and put the rigging over a mast 
head, as well as various other kinds of work, in a 
tolerably seaman-like manner. In about ten days every 
yard and mast were overhauled, as well as the lower 
topmast and topgallant-rigging, the tops were also lifted 
and every mast-head examined, and soon our ship 
was all a-tanto again with royal and sky sail -yards 
athwart. While this duty was being performed the ship 
was caulked from her bends up, including decks &c. 
and in a few days after, she was painted inside and out, 
when she presented to the eye, both in symmetry and 
finish, as beautiful a specimen of what a ship should be, 
as ever rode to an anchor in Whampoa. 

Orders were received from the captain in Canton, 
that the vessel must be got in readiness to receive the 
famous John Tuck, or the great mandarin, who takes 
the measurement of every craft, for which a pretty round 
price is exacted. In two days he came aboard, in great 
pomp, bringing with him a large retinue ; and he went 
through the ceremony of measuring, which occupied at 
least as much time, as would have taken an American 
surveyor to take the dimensions of twenty ships. Great 
respect and attention, however, was shown him, it being 
advisable to do so ; for, in default thereof, Mr. John 
Tuck would have tucked on a very considerable advance 
m the "cumshaio" allowed him for his services. 

I shall pass over dates during the period of our stay 
in Canton, as it was understood that we should remain 
here for some length of time to wait for teas, which had 
not yet come in. 

The ship being now in complete order, as a matter of 
course with so large a crew, there was much spare time, 
and liberty was given by Capt. W. for a part of the crew to 
visit Canton. As almost every man on board had an ad- 
venture when we left Boston, and which adventure had 
been sold on the coast, Spanish dollars were tolerably 
plenty among the crew. It was an amazing sight to 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 149 

behold many of our lads after they had been a day or 
two in Canton ; some of them were topped off in a 
dress of sky-blue silk, others purchased Chinese dresses 
and paraded about the suburbs, some of them felt the 
effects of "hog lane" in their pockets and on their backs; 
and it was astonishing to see with what dexterity the 
Chinese would cheat them out of their good money and 
palm off counterfeit dollars on them. One day while in 
company with three or four of my shipmates, we went 
into a shop to purchase some quarter chests of tea and 
trinkets ; the articles were selected and the price agreed 
upon, and the dollars thrown down, when as quick as 
lightning the good money was secreted and counterfeit 
dollars were placed on the counter, and the Chinaman 
immediately cried out "quisi" i. e. bad money. Of 
course we were not very well pleased, and were taking 
up the articles we had selected, when a signal was given, 
and about a dozen Chinese with long bamboos entered 
and began to belabour us soundly until we had made 
good our retreat, minus dollars, teas, trinkets and every 
thing else. After this we never entered a Chinese store 
unless there were a dozen of us in company. The 
lower class of Chinese are perhaps the most expert 
thieves of any people in the world ; some of our men 
Avere not only robbed of all their money, but while sleep- 
ing in the American factories they had their clothes 
stolen from them by the native servants. ; After the 
allotted time had expired we all repaired on board the 
ship again ; and it was very soon discovered that our 
visit to Canton would terminate less pleasantly than we 
had anticipated, as the small-pox had been contracted, 
and about forty of the crew were taken down with this 
loathsome disease. They were all sent on shore at 
Dean's Island, and as almost every ship in port had a 
physician on board, of course they did not suffer for 
want of medical treatment. Fortunately the disease 
was of a light character or it must have proved fatal to 
many of them. With good treatment and attention we 
did not lose a man, and they all soon recovered. 



150 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

So much has been written in reference to the habits 
and traits of the Chinese, that I deem it unnecessary to 
swell this work by entering into further detail respecting 
them. It may not be amiss, however, to notice that 
which attracts the attention of almost every one who 
visits Canton. I was not a little surprised to behold the 
many souls, who appear to have their residences exclu- 
sively upon the bosom of the river, and I was credibly in- 
formed, that there were not less than three millions, who 
are doomed to pass a miserable existence on the water for 
crimes that had been committed against the laws, or for 
some violation of their religious rites. They reside in 
boats that are covered all over, and procure a living by 
selling various articles to foreigners on ship-board, and 
washing for the ships' crews. At night their boats are 
pulled in shore and made fast, but they are never per- 
mitted to land. Many of them are miserable in the ex- 
treme, subsisting on whatever they can solicit from the 
foreign ships and from the offal which is thrown over- 
board. 

Our stay was so much protracted here, that we all 
grew wearied, and ardently longed for the period to 
arrive, when we should weigh anchor for Yankee land. 
At length, on the 24th of August our prospects began to 
brighten for this desirable object, as on this day we 
commenced taking in our homeward cargo ; but to my 
great surprise and mortification we were upwards of a 
month before the ship was loaded. 

September 28.— We had now all our cargo on board, 
and the ship being ready for sea, nothing was wanting 
except that the captain had not yet come down from 
Canton, although he was expected every hour. 



CHAPTER XIII. 



SAIL FROM CANTON HOMEWARD BOUND — PASSAGE THROUGH THE 
CHINA SEA, &C. 

September 29. — Capt. W. arrived at 9 a. m. and hav- 
ing unmoored the night previously we had nothing to 
do but to heave up our single anchor, which was quickly- 
done by running the capstan round to the merry tune 
of "Yankee doodle." In a few minutes our ship was 
under royals, standing down the river in company with 
the ship Baltic, of Providence, she also being freighted 
with the proceeds of our voyage. 

October 1. — Discharged -the Chinese pilot in Macoa 
road, and received on board three Dutch merchants as 
passengers, to be landed on the island of Java. At 11 
a. m., made all sail with a fresh easterly wind, and soon 
discovered that our ship was very much the superior of 
the Baltic in point of sailing. At 1 p. m. took our de- 
parture from the land, exchanged the parting adieu with 
the Baltic, and made the best of our way. At 4 p. m. 
the Baltic was like a speck on the horizon, and the 
coast lay like a cloud ranging east and west, while the 
Ladrone Islands began gradually to disappear in the dis- 
tance. At sunset they were all out- of sight, and we 
were once more on the ocean, where at every point sky 
and water only meet the eye. At 8 a. m. all hands were 
called aft, the watches were chosen ; the crew being 
somewhat diminished, it became necessary again to 
choose the watches. It fell to my lot to be again placed 
in the starboard watch, and to ruy great satisfaction 
Jack Sawyer was also chosen in the same. After this 
had been gone through with, the watch was set, and as 



152 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

customary, the starboard watch had the first four hours 
on deck : I say as customary because the larboard or 
chief mate's watch takes the ship when outward bound, 
and the starboard or captain's watch when homeward 
bound. Throughout this night the wind was fresh and 
fair, and our ship with her light and buoyant Canton 
cargo, bounded over the sea like a race-horse, and to my 
imagination seemed as eager to reach her appointed 
destination, as if possessed with the power of thought 
and reflection. Certainly she did not lack for canvas, 
for sail after sail was set, until no more could be spread 
to advantage. 

It was a merry night, for long after eight bells were 
struck and the watch had turned in, the jovial laugh 
was heard from those who were snugly coiled away in 
their berths, while the watch on deck in different groups 
were singing their favorite ballads, smacked with the 
exploits of pirates and highwayman, which old sailors 
so much delight in ; and another group, hanging round 
the windlass, seemed to be very positive in their calcu- 
lations as to the number of days we should be in mak- 
ing the passage to Bosjxm. "Avast there," said an old 
salt, "don't be counting the chickens before they are 
hatched. I've known a faster ship than this to be more 
than six months making a passage ; aye and a pretty 
time we had of it, for I was in that self-same ship. Our 
captain was a young man, and had just as nice a suit of 
hair on his napper, as you might see in a day's walk, but 
what with calms, squalls, head winds, and gales on the 
passage home, it made him rave like some chaps who 
have their jibs bowsed out taut, so that he tore all the 
hair out the top of his head, and when we got home, he 
was just as bald as a guinea pig." At this point the 
watch gathered around him and he spun out a marvel- 
lous yarn of gales and calms, and short allowances, when _ 
it was cut short by eight bells being struck, and the 
boatswain's mate piping the larboard watch on deck. 
Oct. 7. — Nothing of importance transpired the few pre- 
ceding days, the weather continued good and the wind 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 153 

fair with strong breezes. At 10 a. m. made the small 
island of Pulosapata. This island being low and the 
weather hazy at the time, we were very near to it before 
it could be seen, so much so that we found some diffi- 
culty to weather it, there being two small rocks about a 
quarter of a mile distant and abreast the island. The 
current running rapidly obliged us to pass through a 
channel between the rocks, although it was at an immi- 
nent risk. These rocks are called the cockpits, and J shall 
never forget them ; for being a foretop-man I was sent 
on the royal-yards to look out for rocks and breakers 
ahead, and while passing through the channel, which 
certainly was not wider than three times the length of 
the ship, my feelings were not at all enviable. Happily 
we passed through in safety to the no small satisfaction 
of all on board, and especially to myself, as I began to 
think all my future prospects were then to be cut off. 

October 11. — This morning saw the island of Banca 
bearing west-north-west. Passing through these straits 
we experienced a strong current, and as there were many 
shoals, a sharp look out was kept, as well as great atten- 
tion paid to the heaving of the lead. 

October 13. — The wind moderated and the weather 
became cloudy. This day saw the Billiton island bear- 
ing west-by-north. In entering these straits we found 
a current running six miles per hour. The straits being 
short, the wind fair and the current strong in our favor, 
we soon passed through them, and on the 15th October 
made the east end of Java. We stood close in with the 
land to a position marked out by the Dutch passengers, 
and at 4 p. m. landed them with all their effects, for 
which, as I understood, Capt. W. was largely remune- 
rated. This accomplished, all sail was again set, with 
a moderate breeze and cloudy weather, which continued 
during the night. 

On the morning of the 16th, we were not more than 

twenty miles distant from the island of Java. It was 

nearly calm, and the rain fell in torrents. Now our 

troubles began ; for as this was the time of the change 

14 



154 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

of the little monsoon, it frequently happens that there 
are thirty or forty days of alternate calms, squalls, and 
rain before the other monsoon fairly sets in. Alas ! 
this to our great mortification we experienced, and all 
our fair prospects and close calculations of making a 
short passage were in a few days sadly reversed ; for 
day after day rolled away with obdurate calms and 
heavy rains. At intervals light airs would spring up, 
but they were generally ahead, and did not last more 
than an hour or two. Serious thoughts began to be en- 
tertained by some of the old superstitious sailors, that 
we must have a Jonah on board, and at length their 
suspicions fell upon the old salt, who had amused us so 
much with his marvellous yarn on the night of our de- 
parture from Macoa. 

"You're an unlucky chap," said an old croaker to him, 
as we were seated around our kids of beef and tin pots 
of tea at supper in the last dog-watch ; U I just thought, 
when I heard you spinning that long yarn the other night, 
that no good luck would attend us while you are on 
board ; hark ye, Tom," continued the old croaker, "how 
was it that the shot from that beggarly Spaniard, which 
cut away the breech of old Stitch there, didn't take your 
napper off? you were right in the wake of the shot, 
though you happened to have your head down at the 
time ; and now I remember you were in the armorer's 
gang on the island, when Joe Davis tumbled off the hill 
and broke his neck." 

During this miserably superstitious harangue there was 
a number of sailors collected around the speaker, and 
appeared to swallow every word that he uttered, as if it 
were pure gospel truth. For my own part I thought 
these most unjust suspicions might have rested upon 
myself with much more color of truth than on the ac- 
cused, for it will be recollected that when I fell from 
the foretop I broke the hold of my shipmate by the fall, 
which precipitated him into the sea to be drowned. 

From the duration of these incessant calms and 
rains, we not only lost all hopes of making a short pas- 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 155 

sage, but the news some how or other got into the fore- 
castle, that we should either have to put into the Isle of 
France or the Cape of Good Hope for a supply of bread, 
this article of provision having become short and ex- 
ceedingly bad. 

November 20. — This day the weather changed, and 
the*wind sprung up from the south-east. It will be 
seen, by comparing dates, that we were about thirty-five 
days becalmed, and were not at this time two hundred 
miles from the island of Java. The change of weather 
and fair wind brought with them a corresponding change 
of feeling among the ship's company. The discontent, 
grumbling, and sour looks gave place to cheerful coun- 
tenances and great good humor; even the unjust sus- 
picions which had fallen upon old' Tom were now fast 
wearing away, and after two or three days' fair wind the 
divinations were again renewed as to the length of our 
passage. I was not a little gratified that such an entire 
restoration of good feeling was established, and that the 
utmost harmony prevailed among the officers and crew. 
As regards myself, I cannot describe the pleasing antici- 
pations of home which this fair wind inspired as the ship 
bounded over the blue waves to the westward, every 
mile shortening the distance, which induced associations 
and reflections that united me, if possible, more indisso- 
lubly to my native land. One among those reflections 
was peculiarly gratifying, namely, that I had made tole- 
rable progress in seamanship and navigation, and looked 
forward with a degree of certainty to promotion after our 
arrival in the United States. Another source of pleasure 
was that I had been instrumental in teaching my old 
messmate, Jack Sawyer, to read the Holy Scriptures, 
which he was now able to do tolerably well, and which 
gave him great satisfaction. I had also the good fortune 
in some degree to acquire the confidence and esteem of 
the officers in general, and more particularly that of Mr. 
C. who was indeed my friend, and to whom I was in- 
debted for much of what I had learned in the profession. 

December 16. — This day crossed the parallel of the 



156 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

isle of France without any material alteration of wind 
or weather, but such as is common to the trade winds. 
The weather now began to assume an entirely different 
appearance ; it was dark, cloudy, and threatening, with 
a heavy cross swell, arid if this had been the season of 
the hurricanes, no doubt we should have had one of 
them, as I understood these signs were the precursors 
of those frightful storms. The light sails were all taken 
in at sunset, and the royal-yards sent on deck. During 
the night it blew strong with small rain, when we took 
in all the studding-sails. 



CHAPTER XIV. 

ENGLISH EAST INDIA FLEET THE CHASE JACK SAWYER^ NAR- 
RATIVE RESUMED. 

December 17. — This morning at daylight, saw a fleet 
of seven ships to the eastward. We supposed them to 
be the English East India fleet, which had sailed from 
Canton about ten days before us. We were not wrong in 
this supposition, for at 9 a. m. having closed in with the 
fleet, the convoy gave chase to us for the following 
reasons : that, as at this period these seas were infested 
with large French privateers, which now and then 
picked up a straggling East Indiaman, and as the 
English fleet always made their rendezvous at St. 
Helena, the convoy obliged every neutral vessel that 
they overhauled, to go into St. Helena, and there suf- 
fer a detention until ten days after the English fleet 
had sailed. This was done to prevent their giving 
information to the French privateers. As soon as it 
was clearly ascertained that the frigate was in chase of 
us, all sail was made upon the ship that she could bear, 
the wind blowing strong from the eastward, which of 
course brought the frigate to windward. Although she 
gained upon us, yet it was so trifling, that in three 
hours she gave up the chase; this was probably done 
for the purpose of not being separated far from the fleet. 
During the night the winds were variable and squally, 
and at daylight on the 18th, to our great surprise and 
mortification, the fleet was nearer to us than on the 
previous day, consequently the chase commenced at 
broad daylight, the frigate being about six miles dis- 
tant from us. It was continued until 12 o'clock when 
14* 



158 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

she had gained about three miles upon us, and then 
gave up the chase. At sunset the frigate was out of 
sight, and having altered our course a little during the 
night we saw no more of them. 

December 20. — This day we reached the parallel of 
27° 30' south and longitude by observation 30° east. 
Our fine strong breeze left us and the wind became 
light, variable and westerly. For several days similar 
wind and weather continued without any material al- 
teration, and of course every advantage was taken of 
the change of the wind to get to the westward. On the 
morning of the 28th, we found ourselves in the midst 
of a strong current ripple, which runs rapidly on the 
edge of the Lagullos Bank round the Cape, until it loses 
itself in the South Atlantic Ocean. 

The weather now assumed a very threatening appear- 
ance ; heavy dense masses of black clouds rolled up 
from the western board with thunder, lightning and 
small rain. Every necessary preparation was now made 
for a gale, the royal-yards, masts, &c. were sent down, 
and the flying jib-boom was run in on deck, preventer 
gripes, lashings, &c. were got on the boats and spars, 
and the guns were well secured. At meridian the wind 
increased from west-north-west, the topgallant-yards 
were sent down and the topsails were double-reefed. 
Reefing topsails is one among the most exciting scenes 
on board a ship, and it was so with us, particularly at 
this time, as we had not reefed since our departure from 
Canton. Not having described this duty, it may not be 
amiss to do so in this place. It has been stated in the 
preceding part of this work, that in consequence of our 
crew being large, all hands were never called to reef 
topsails, which however, is not generally the case with 
merchant vessels, because of the small number compos- 
ing their crews. But now for the description on board 
of our ship ; the watch was divided equally, one half 
forward and the other half aft ; the officer of the watch 
then gives the order. "Stand by the topsail-halyards, 
man the clewlines, let go the buntlines and reef-tackles, 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 159 

and stand by the Jee-braces, let go the topsail-halyards, 
slacken the lee, and round in the weather-braces." This 
is done so that the sail may shiver and run down on 
the cap easily. When the halyards are let go, the top- 
men spring on the yards and overhaul the ties ; when 
the yard is down the lifts are taut and the yard is then 
braced so as to prevent the sail from shivering; the 
buntlines are then hauled up and the reef-tackles hauled 
out ; the topmen then spring out to the weather and lee 
earings, and the seamen from the deck lay aloft, cluster- 
ing like so many bees upon the yard ; the earings being 
fast and the reef-points knotted, the seamen— some on 
the topsail ties and others descend with all possible 
despatch to the deck. The clewlines, reef- tackles and 
buntlines being let go and overhauled by the topmen, 
the yard is swayed up; during which the braces are 
tending, and when the sail is taut, the boatswain or 
boatswain's mate pipes "belay" or "make fast." I have 
known the topsails to be close reefed on board this ship, 
and the sails set in seven minutes from the time the 
halyards were let go. In this instance, however, we 
were eleven minutes, owing probably to the want of 
practice. 

But to return, at 4 p. m. it blew a strong gale ; furled 
the fore and mizzen-topsails, and at sunset furled the 
foresail and brought the ship by the wind on the star- 
board tack, with her head to the northward. The night 
was terrific, the gale had increased to a hurricane, with 
a short high cross sea, breaking in almost every direc- 
tion, and presenting a broad sheet of white foam, which 
together with the incessant flashes of lightning, made it 
impossible to fix the sight upon any object except at 
short intervals. The heavens were overspread with 
blackness, while peal on peal of thunder roared with 
horrid din, altogether appearing as if the furies were let 
loose in this contention of the warring elements. But 
the ship behaved gallantly : as yet no angry sea with 
foaming crest had fallen on board, yet it was evident 
from the increasing fury of the hurricane, she could not 



160 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

much longer resist the waves. Indeed, what could 
wood and iron do, although managed by the most con- 
summate skill and stoutest hearts against the frightful gale 
in such a fearful night as this. At 11 p. m. a squall, the 
violence of which exceeded any of the preceding gusts, 
struck her abeam, and at the same moment a heavy sea 
broke under the counter, tripping her, which together 
with the violence of the wind, immediately sent her 
over with her gunwales under water. Happily at this 
instant the main-topsail was blown away from the bolt- 
rope, and eased of the pressure, she immediately righted ; 
but the loss of the after sail had caused her to fall oft 
four points ; as soon however, as she felt the action of 
the helm she began to luff up to the wind. Then was 
heard the hoarse voice of the first officer, which rose 
distinctly above the roaring elements. "Secure your- 
selves every man of you !" I caught a turn with the 
main-clew-garnet around my body and the main-swifter, 
and then casting my eye over the rail to windward, saw 
a huge black mass, which came rolling on toward our 
beam with frightful rapidity, as if impelled by some fury 
eager to swallow the ship up for its prey. It was an 
awful moment — the .ship could not shun the sea. I 
heard and saw no more, until I felt I was nearly up to 
my armpits in water. For a few minutes she lay water- 
logged ; fortunately, however, all the lee ports had been 
triced up and she quickly freed herself from the im- 
mense weight of water, which must otherwise have 
caused her to founder. But our troubles were not yet 
over, for all the ring-bolts had been started, and many 
of the timbers to which the guns were secured were 
broken, and four of the waist guns were adrift or hang- 
ing merely to the broken timbers. "Launch the guns 
overboard !" shouted Capt. W. "or they will make day- 
light through the ship ;" for two of the guns were partly 
hanging over the side. It was a dangerous service, but 
this was no time for skulking. I saw the fearless 
second officer — whom no danger could appal, and who 
never quailed from any duty — with a hatchet and hand- 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 161 

spike in his hands, followed by my old messmate, the 
undaunted Jack Sawyer, fearlessly proceeding to the 
scene of disaster. As I felt great pride to be engaged in 
any hazardous duty, I immediately joined them. We 
quickly cut away the tackles and breechings of the 
two- guns, which were partly hanging over the side, 
and got t-hem clear of the ship. There were yet 
two more adrift, and although with the utmost diffi- 
culty, and at the hazard of life and limb, we succeeded 
in about half an hour in launching them overboard also. 
At midnight the gale was at its height ; after that the 
sea became more regular and consequently less danger- 
ous ; set the main-stay-sail and lay throughout the night 
in safety. For three days it continued to blow without 
much variation as to the violence or course of the wind, 
during which time we had frequently to live on raw 
pork and biscuit, it being impossible to cook in the 
galley. This was indeed an unfortunate gale for us, as 
all the fresh stock we had on board was washed off the 
deck, together with three casks of water. 

On the morning of the first of January, 1810, the 
wind moderated and hauled round to the southward 
and eastward, and the sea went down. All necessary 
sail was set and once more we stood on our course to 
the westward. The weather now became exceedingly 
fine, with a clear atmosphere, and we found the ship's 
position at meridian to be in 31° 30" south, and longi- 
tude 22° east. This day the stars were as perfectly 
visible at meridian as they were at night, although the 
sun's altitude was upwards of 70°. This circumstance is 
owing to the clearness of the atmosphere, especially at 
this season of the year. 

January 4.--rBy observation we ascertained that the 
ship tiad doubled the Cape of Good Hope, consequently 
we bore away to the northward and westward, with a 
fine south-east trade wind, and set every sail that would 
draw to advantage. As we now had got the ship's 
head to the northward and westward, with a fine, 
steady south-east trade wind, it appeared more like 



162 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

reaching our native land, because we were steering 
a direct course and had no more capes to double. There 
was, however, a long distance yet to run, and as our 
provisions had become exceedingly bad — especially the 
bread, of which there was now only a small quantity 
left — and as we were out of fresh stock of every descrip- 
tion, it was rumoured that we should put into some one 
of the islands near the line for a supply. We now 
began to surfer for the want of bread. - What little 
there was on board, was so much eaten by the worms 
and wevils, that a small tap on a biscuit would reduce 
it almost to dust. The only way, therefore, in which it 
could be eaten, was to seperate the vermin from the 
bread, and put the dust into our pots of tea or coffee. 

January 5. — The weather this day was bright and 
clear, and the wind blew due south-east, consequently 
studding-sails were set on both sides. Now for the first 
time I experienced what I had often heard remarked by 
sailors, viz. rolling down St. Helena homeward bound ; 
for notwithstanding the severe privations we now ex- 
perienced for the want of wholesome food, yet neverthe- 
less general good will and harmony prevailed through- 
out the ship, for the reason that all pangs arising from 
deprivations and difficulties were absorbed by the pleas- 
ing anticipations of shortly realizing sweet home. 

January 10. — No change or interruption of wind or 
weather took place the preceding days. The damages 
were now all repaired, and the usual routine of duty was 
carried on. I soon began to perceive that our bad pro- 
visions" were not so well relished, neither was the hard 
fare borne with the same equanimity of temper in the 
land of knives and forks and plates, as in the forecastle 
among the crew. The officers grew peevish and mani- 
fested it in a variety of ways, by working up, &c. This 
was particularly the case with the third officer. Indeed 
we had been so long confined to the narrow compass of 
a ship, and this passage having been so much protract- 
ed beyond all our calculations — added to the unwhole- 
someness of our provisions, was not only the cause 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 163 

of some ill humour, but actually produced much debility 
among the crew. Every mile therefore we made to the 
westward was a source of great satisfaction to me, be- 
cause it brought our privations nearer to a termination. 

As we had got into steady weather, in order to pass 
away time pleasantly, my old messmate, Jack, promised 
to resume and finish his narrative in our watch on deck 
at night. He now could read and spell with a degree 
of accuracy that astonished many of the crew, and I com- 
menced teaching him to write. It was a source of the 
highest satisfaction to poor Jack, who was actually a dif- 
ferent man than when first introduced to the notice of 
the reader. 

January 11. — This day commenced and continued the 
same as the former ; the crew was variously employed 
in getting the ship in order while running down these 
trades. Expecting, of course, to arrive on the coast of 
America in cold weather, I took this opportunity to get 
my Cape Horn clothing in order, which had been laid 
by a long time in almost a Useless state, not having had 
occasion to wear it for more than a year and a half. 
Eight days had now elapsed since we passed the Cape 
of Good Hope, and the wind continued to blow due 
south-east without varying a quarter of a point, and 
the weather was also uninterruptedly fine. Homeward 
bound vessels generally take advantage of these trade 
winds to overhaul and paint, and get ready to make their 
entrance into port in trim appearance, as it can be done 
with almost the same facility as when lying to an anchor. 

The decks cleared and supper over, all hands were 
on deck, and the privilege of the main deck being 
granted them, the crew joined in the merry dance as a 
recreation to drive away the spleen and discontent which 
began to appear among them on account of bad pro- 
visions and short allowance. These privations, how- 
ever, were unavoidable on the part of Capt. W. conse- 
quently the difficulties were borne with little murmur- 
ing. During these two hours of frolic and sky-larking, 
all was forgotten or merged into a general feeling of 
mirth and jollity. 



104 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

Eight bells were struck, and the starboard watch being 
called, Jack Sawyer and myself went up to our station 
in the foretop, where we quietly seated ourselves on the 
starboard side. After the usual preliminaries of taking 
a fresh quid, and discharging a liberal portion of the 
juice arising from the severity of a high-pressure grind- 
ing, he resumed his narrative as follows : 

"It is a long time since my yarn was cut off, and I 
hardly know whereabouts to knot again ; but I believe 
it was somewhere about when Iwas drafted on board 
the frigate M. for the East India station. Well, I thought 
I would give them the slip, and get home to my native 
land to see whether my poor old mother was alive or 
not; but then there was a messmate of mine, and we 
had been together three years in our frigate. He was a 
true-hearted chap, and often shared his last shilling with 
me; so d'ye see, we talked the matter over— for we had 
no secrets between us — and he got the better of me, for 
he had the gift of gab. 'Now, Jack,' says he, 'just go 
out this cruise, and mayhap we'll make some prize mo- 
ney, and then, with a long score of wages when the 
cruise is up, why then you'll have plenty of shiners, 
and may go home and make your old mam comfortable 
all the days of her life.' This last argument won me 
over, and I consented to go with my messmate Tom, 
and we fixed the bargain on the spot with a glass of 
grog. Well, Tom and I had a cruise for three days, for 
d'ye see, all the shiners were not yet gone. Says Tom, 
'what's the use oi this stuff at sea, or among them out- 
landish chaps yonder in Bengal?' That's true, Tom, 
says I, so the quicker we get clear of it the better. So 
at it we went, and in three, days, sure enough, we had 
pockets to let, and after that gram looks and hard words 
from the land sharks in Rotten Row. Well, we were 
now ready to go on board the frigate, and as she was un- 
der sailing orders, she was picking up a crew wherever 
they could be found ; and many of thorn didn't go on 
board with a good will, that's sartain ; no, fto, they were 
dragged off by the press-gang, just for all the world like 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 165 

so many bullocks to the slaughter-house. Well, off 
Tom and I goes to the frigate, and after taking a squint 
at the crew, I just made up my mind that they were a 
sorry set of fellows. Howsomever, I heard an old quar- 
ter-master say that they would be as good for the sharks 
and alligators out yonder as better men. Well, we 
got under way from Portsmouth, and stood down the 
channel. 

"And now, to make short work of it, I will pass over 
what took place on this passage, except that there was 
plenty of exercising and plenty of flogging, so that by 
the time we got to Bombay the frigate was in a pretty 
good state of discipline, and I was promoted to quarter- 
master. We remained on this station a long time, long 
enough to make a pretty considerable hole in the crew ; 
for what with the dysentery, fever, and hot weather, the 
hands died like rotten sheep, making a large average 
among the tinkers and cobblers that had been pressed 
in Portsmouth; so, sure enough the words of the old 
quarter-master came true, as a number of them were 
thrown overboard to fill the hungry maws of the sharks 
and alligators. Well, I came very near losing the num- 
ber of my mess there too, for I was laid up in the sick 
bay three months, and hadn't it been for my old mess- 
mate, Tom, who stuck by me through thick and thin, I 
also should have been a sweet morsel for the hungry 
belly of a shark. 

"We remained cruising on this station,. sometimes at 
Calcutta, sometimes at Madras, Bombay and Singapore, 
for nineteen months, during which time sixty of our 
chaps slipped their moorings, and the grim monster, 
Death, made a pretty equal distribution" among the offi- 
cers. To be sure we felt pretty blue, but howsomever, 
we made up for it, because we took a large French pri- 
vateer ship, and recaptured her prize, an English East 
Indiaman. So, d'ye see, as we had so many men docked 
off the ship's books by death, why then the remaining 
number would share more prize money for it. I was not 
sorry when our ship was relieved by another frigate, and 
15 



166 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

was glad enough when we got under sailing orders for 
England ; for, somehow or other, I could'nt get it out 
of my head about these devouring critters, and I had a 
mortal disliking to be eat up and stowed away in the 
store-room of a shark or alligator. And I tell you, when 
I heard the boatswain pipe to unmoor and get under 
way for England, I felt just as glad as if I had a week's 
grog, and I saw the phiz of many a chap that day 
brighten up, which for nine months before looked for 
all the world like sour milk. Well, we got under way 
with a fine breeze, and it seemed to me as if the frigate 
was as glad to get out of these horse latitudes as our- 
selves. 

"We made a pretty quick run of it, and got into Ports- 
mouth in ninety days, then the frigate was taken into 
dock, and I was paid off — wages, prize money and all, 
amounting to just one hundred and forty pounds ster- 
ling money. Why, I felt like one of them nabobs out 
yonder ! So much chink ! a pretty sum ! says I to my- 
self. Why, I'll just sheer clear of the pirates, streamers, 
and Rotten Row, and get these shiners home to old 
mam, if she's still above hatches. Yes, thought I, I'll 
cut loose from the sarvice and my messmate, Tom B. 
for I very well knew if Tom once threw his grappling 
irons and small talk around me twas a gone chick, shi- 
ners and all, for another cruise. Well, I didn't stop to 
consider ; so I took a boat and went off to an American 
ship which had sprung a leak and put in here to repair. 
So, as I was saying, I goes aboard and asked liberty to 
see the captain. Down I went into the cabin, and there 
he was ; so I told him my whole yarn ; how long I had 
been in the English sarvice, and how J had a mother in 
Marblehead, if she was still alive, and how I wanted to 
get home to see her, as I had some chink of my arnings 
to make her comfortable in her old days. 'There it is,' 
gays I, taking out my bag and giving it to the captain. 
'I just want you to keep that little sum for me, and let 
me go in your ship, that I may once more see my native 
land.' 'Well, my man,' said the captain, 'your story 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 167 

seems to be a pretty straight one, and if all is right, I 
am willing to do all I can for you. But, you know,' 
continued he, 'the press is very hot and you have no 
protection, and it is likely they will overhaul my ship 
very closely — what will you do in that case V 'What 
will I do?' said I, 'why if they take Jack Sawyer out of 
this ship they must be wide awake ; but if they do, cap- 
tain, just take that bit of dust, and when you get home 
inquire after • my old mother, Elizabeth Sawyer, or my 
sister, Nancy Sawyer, and if they're alive give it to 
them, and tell them it's from poor Jack.' 'I shall be 
ready to sail in two days,' says the captain, 'so, my man, 
get your dunnage aboard to-morrow, and I'll stow you 
away, or, if you like it better, you may stay where you 
are now.' I thanked him heartily for his kind offer, and 
told him I would go ashore and pack up my traps and 
be off to-morrow. I kept under hatches that night, for 
the press-gang was out picking up every straggler. The 
next day I got my traps all off safe on board and stowed 
myself away among the cargo ; and it was well I did, 
for the ship was overhauled twice by the press-gang be- 
fore we got to sea. Howsomever, we got out clear, and 
arrived safe at Antwerp. 

"I had like to forgot to tell you that the ship's name 
was the Eliza, of Boston, Capt. Saunders, and as fine a 
fellow as ever stepped on a ship's deck ; a sailor every 
inch of him, and knew how to feel for a sailor. Well, 
we discharged our cargo, went down to St. Ubes, took 
in a cargo of salt, and arrived safe in Boston, when I 
once more trod the shores of my native land, after hav- 
ing been away nearly fifteen years." 

Here, the watch being out, the narrative was closed 
for the present, with the promise of concluding the re- 
mainder at the next favorable opportunity. 

January 25. — The almost universal sameness of wind 
and weather in the south-east trades, produced a state 
of monotony during the preceding days, which was 
nearly insupportable. We found ourselves, however, 
about this time drawing up to the equinoctial line, and 



168 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 



for the first time, we understood in the forecastle that 
Captain W. had decided to put into the island of Fer- 
nando Noronha, to ascertain whether a supply of bread 
or a substitute for it could be obtained, as indications of 
the scurvy began to make its appearance among the 
crew, owing no doubt to the unwholesomeness of the 
provisions, want of bread and articles of an anti-scorbutic 
character. 

January 29. — The trade winds during the preceding 
days became light, in consequence of which we did not 
make the island until this morning at 9 a. m. when the 
exciting cry of "land ho !" was heard from the mast- 
head, to the unspeakable satisfaction of all on board ; it 
being the first land seen since we left the east end of 
Java. The usual preparations were made for coming to 
an anchor; such as bending cables, getting anchors 
over the bows, &c. The anchorage being to the west- 
ward, we ran round the south point, luffed up to the 
anchoring ground, and came too with the small bower 
in fifteen fathoms water, about a mile distant from the 
shore. We lost no time in getting our boats out, two of 
which were sent on shore to obtain the necessary in- 
formation in reference to the object of our visit to this 
place. It was soon ascertained, that a supply of bread 
could not be obtained, and the only article in place of 
it, was the cassava root, which when dried and pulver- 
ized, and made up as dough and baked, answered as a 
tolerable substitute. A difficulty now presented itself, 
which was, that even this poor article could not be 
obtained in any considerable quantity ; the deficiency 
however, was made up by yams, which were purchased 
at an exorbitant price, as well as some fresh stock, such 
as fowls, pigs, &c. There are no springs of fresh water 
on this island, but as there are frequently heavy rains, 
the people catch large quantities of water in a cistern, or 
reservoir, built for that purpose, which affords an ample 
supply to the inhabitants of the island. This reservoir 
stands on the top of a hill, from which we filled ten 
large casks, and it was with some considerable difficulty 
we got them down to the beach, being obliged to par- 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 169 

buckle them down with ropes. We remained here two 
days, during which time we got off all such supplies as 
could be obtained, and for which the most exorbitant 
prices were paid. 

February 1. — Got under way at 6 a. m. with a light 
air from off the land, made all sail and steered away to 
the westward. 

The island of Fernando Noronha, is in the parallel 
3° 56' south 32° 33' west. It is small and of a moderate 
height, and except on the western part there is scarcely 
any land susceptible of cultivation, and it presents the 
appearance of a mass of rocks, when it is approached 
from the eastward. There is no shelter or harbour 
whatever, but as the anchorage is to the leeward of 
the island, no danger is to be apprehended, especially as 
there are no gales of wind, and the squalls are of short 
duration. Here the Portuguese government transports 
its convicts. There were at this time about two hun- 
dred and fifty on the island, kept under restraint by a 
garrison of about as many soldiers. Females were 
entirely excluded, in consequence we found them in a 
most wretched condition, addicted to almost every vice, 
and pilfering whatever they could lay their hands on. 
We were not at all displeased when we left those knaves 
and took our departure. 

At sunset, although the wind had been light during 
the day, Fernando Noronha had sunk beneath the 
horizon. The breeze freshened, every sail was set that 
would draw to advantage, and once more we were 
bounding over the sea with our head in a direct course 
towards home. The supply of provisions, water, &c. 
though small, was nevertheless seasonable, for two 
reasons ; first, because it induced a better spirit and tem- 
per among the crew ; and secondly, because it prevented 
the outbreaking of scurvy which were so strongly indi- 
cated previously to our touching at the island. In two 
days from our departure, we once more crossed the 
equinoctial line, homeward bound, it being the sixth 
time we had crossed it on the voyage, as well as having 
passed the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. 
15* 



CHAPTER XV. 

SATURDAY NIGHT AT SEA — CONCLUSION OF JACK SAWYER^ NAR- 
RATIVE,, &C. 

February 4. — The three preceding days the wind 
became light, and hauled gradually round to the east- 
ward. Having crossed the equinoctial line far to the 
westward, say 34° 30', we experienced no calms, and 
much to our regret, did not fall in with any outward 
bound vessels ; for although the supply of cassava root 
obtained at Fernando Noronha answered in some sort 
in the place of bread, yet in a few days it became loath - 
some ? and was entirely rejected by many of the crew, 
but especially by the officers. 

February 7. — We were this day in the latitude of 8° 
north, with a fine north-east trade wind, running at the 
rate of eight miles per hour, with studding-sails set 
below and aloft. It was Saturday, a day above all others 
to the close of which sailors look forward with great 
pleasure and delight ; for on this day the work generally 
closes at a much earlier hour than usual; and while 
the extra glass, technically called "Saturday night," is 
being drunk, all the fond remembrances of home are 
called up, and long yarns are spun and lengthened out, 
while the much cherished toast of "sweethearts and 
wives" passes round ; and onfhose occasions especially, 
all the hardships and privations of a sea life are forgotten. 
We had now been out upwards of two years, and every 
hour brought us nearer to the land of our birth. Of 
course all those fond recollections of home became the 
subject of our thoughts and conversation. Every spear 
of grass and bed of weeds, which was now seen in large 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 171 

quantities floating by us, were strong indications to me 
especially, that this long voyage would shortly come to 
an end. Indeed I almost fancied myself already at 
home, though still many hundred miles distant from 
Boston. This then was a Saturday night of peculiar 
delight with us. The decks being cleared and supper 
ended at the commencement of the last dog-watch, the 
tin pots were passed aft and soon returned to the fore- 
castle brimming with the customary Saturday night's 
allowance. The members of each mess with the grog 
before them, seated themselves for a regular set-to at 
long yarns, and unalloyed enjoyment. Although Jack 
Sawyer had mostly abstained from indulgence in drink, 
since our conversation on that subject, yet on this oc- 
casion he could not refrain from quaffing the health of a 
tight little cutter, to whom he averred if God spared his 
life, he intend to get spliced. 

"By the way," continued he to me, "what do you 
think of it messmate." I told him I was not competent 
to give advice on those subjects, but that I had often 
heard it said, that a man might do an act of this kind 
in five minutes, and repent of it during his whole life- 
time afterwards." "That's true," says Jack; seriously, 
"there was a messmate of mine, Sam Jenkins, when he 
was paid off from the Syren frigate, he goes ashore to 
spend his liberty. Now Sam was a good looking chap, 
and loved a glass of grog ; so after he had taken aboard 
two or three, he got under way for a cruise. It was not 
long before he fell in with a snug little frigate, when he 
bore away in chase ; now she having skyscrapers set, 
streamers flying, and booming it off wing and wing 
with a clean run, it was not quite so easy a matter to 
come up with her ; howsomever, Sam freshened his 
nip, and after that, he overhauled her hand over hand. 
She played off a little by a manoeuvering puzzle, but Sam 
boarding by a brisk movement, she soon sung out for 
quarters, and struck her colours. To make a long yarn 
short, he got spliced, and a pretty splice he made of it. 
She was not a bit better than she should be, for she 



172 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

would not only have the last word, but the last drop in 
the bottle ; so it was squall after squall with them until 
poor Sam sheered off aboard of a frigate, bound on the 
East India station, and left her to fight her own battles. 

His yarn being over, Jack poured out his allowance 
into a tumbler made of a bullock's horn, and after toast- 
ing "sweethearts and wives," and expressing a hearty 
wish that the breeze might last until we got into Boston 
Bay, he tossed of his glass with a degree of satisfaction 
which few but sailors exhibit. On the larboard side of 
the forecastle was a group of youthful sailors who had 
just finished a long yarn, at the conclusion of which 
one of them exclaimed, "in twenty days I shall be in 
my father's house in Portsmouth." 

"Avast there," said an old calculating Scotch sailor, 
who had nearly worn the hair off the top of his head 
with the lid of his chest, by frequently overhauling his 
clothes and adventure, "ye'll have a norwester or twa 
to grin at afore ye get safely moored in Boston, mon." 

"Stop that prophecying, old croaker, and let's take 
things as they come ; that's my fashion ;" bawled out 
the boatswain's mate — "so come," continued he to Tom 
Fairbanks, "screw up that small opening of yours 
meaning his mouth which, by the way, was the largest 
of any on board) and give us a ditty." 

After the usual preliminaries of hemming, &c. Tom 
commenced with the famous pirate song, : "My name is 
Captain Kid," &c. It is probably known to the reader 
that this song has about twenty verses, and it was roared 
out by the stentorian lungs of Tom to the no small sat- 
isfaction of many in the forecastle. He had scarcely 
finished the last verse when this Saturday night's glee 
was broken up by the shrill whistle of the boatswain 
summoning the larboard watch on deck. 

February 12. — No change of wind or weather occurred 
since the last date, and with the strong north-east trade 
wind we were fast approximating to the westward, and 
being now in the parallel of Barbadoes, we kept a bright 
look-out for outward bound West Indiamen, supposing 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 173 

we should cross their track while they were running down 
to the islands ; as it is known that these vessels gene- 
rally get in the latitude of the island to which they are 
bound, and then run down the longitude until they 
make it. It was not our good fortune, however, to 
fall in with any of these vessels until the morning of 
the 17th, when a sail was seen far to the westward of 
us. As she bore forward of the beam, and appeared to 
be steering away to the westward, we shortened sail 
and hove to. As soon, however, as she was sufficiently 
near to see our colors, which were hoisted at the fore- 
royalmast-head, she hauled her wind and madesail from 
us. Chase was immediately given, and in three hours 
we overhauled her, when she proved to be the brig 
Susan, of New London, Capt. Trask, bound to Marti- 
nique, with a cargo of Yankee notions, such as potatoes, 
onions, cheese, bread, &c. <fcc. all of which we so much 
needed. Boarding her, we found the captain in a very 
unpleasant humor ; after stating to him our situation, and 
offering him any price for the articles we wanted, he 
refused to sell or give us any, alleging that they were 
all stowed away in. the hold, and that he would not 
break open his hatches. This report was made to Capt. 
W. who immediately sent the second officer with orders 
to tender the money to the captain in the presence of 
his mate and crew, and if he still refused, to break open 
the hatches, take what articles we actually stood in need 
of, in the presence of his crew, and then to let our men 
restow his cargo, caulk down the hatches, stow his 
boat, &c. When the money was offered to the captain 
he refused to accept of it. The orders were promptly 
executed, during which time the captain made frequent 
threats of protesting, as he said, against this outrage. 
At 3 p. m. our supplies, boats, &c. were all hoisted in, 
and in a few minutes she was again on her north-west 
course under a press of canvas, and soon lost sight of 
the brig Susan and her surly commander. 

February 18. — The sun rose this morning with un- 
common splendor and brilliancy, no clouds intervening 



174 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

to form curved or irregular lines to break the clear and 
well-defined horizon, from beneath which this glorious 
orb ascended majestically, to perform his diurnal round, 
describing most minutely the limbs as he rapidly ad- 
vanced into the azure vault above ; this magnificent 
sight, which had afforded me so much delight in its first 
exhibition, while crossing the north-east trade winds, 
outward bound, had now lost much of its interest from 
the frequency in which the same scene had been viewed 
during this long voyage. Indeed, from the reflections 
which constantly occupied my mind at this time, I 
was brought to the conclusion that the grandeur and 
sublimity of a sun-rising scene on. the land was superior 
to that on the ocean, because of the accompanying beau- 
ties, such as landscape, singing of birds, &c. While I 
stood gazing on this scene, how perfectly symbolical, 
thought I, is the diurnal round of this planet to that of 
man's life ! how rapidly does it ascend in the morning, 
nor slacken its pace until near the meridian ; then slowly 
descending until it reaches its midway distance to the 
western horizon, when its velocity is quickened, and 
with almost the rapidity of thought she vanishes from 
the keenest vision. 

Here, then, are more than two years of my life passed 
away on the ocean, and to my imagination it seems but 
as a day; and yet it is gone, and I am now in my 
twentieth year, with all the buoyancy of youth in the 
morning of life. What my meridian, decline, or exit may 
be is yet in futurity ; at all events my reflections on the 
past two years are not altogether of an unpleasant cha- 
racter. I have advanced in the knowledge of seamanship 
and navigation as much as could be expected in one voy- 
age. I have also cultivated the good will of the officers 
and crew, and sincerely hope I have been of some ser- 
vice to one true-hearted, illiterate sailor. I have also the 
satisfaction to know that those habits which are some- 
times imbibed in the forecastle have not been contracted 
by me, although I confess I am not proof against those 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 175 

influences more than young men generally are. With 
these reflections, therefore, I considered my future pros- 
pects to be somewhat flattering. 

In running up our latitude to the northward, indica- 
tions of changes in the atmosphere began to be manifest, 
and as it was highly probable we should soon have to 
change our stations from the tops to the deck, and Jack 
Sawyer being aware of this, said he would spin out the 
remainder of his yarn to-night, as it was our first watch 
on deck. As soon, therefore, as the last dog-watch had 
ended, and the watch was relieved, we went up to our 
station in the foretop, when Jack concluded his narra- 
tive as follows : 

"You may be sure, I did not stay long in Boston, so 
after inquiring about for my uncle, I found out that he 
and his wife had slipped their moorings, and then I 
could hear nothing of their two children; so as there 
was nothing further for me to do, away I starts for 
Marblehead to look out for poor old mother and sister. 
Well, I soon got down there, and was afraid to ask 
about them, for somehow or other, I had a kind of fore- 
boding, that old mam was under hatches ; and sure 
enough the very first question I asked was of an old 
man — but I didn't tell him who I was. 'Well, 7 says I, 
•'daddy, do you know one Mrs. Sawyer living about 
these parts?' 'Know her,' said he, 'that I did, but she 
died about six years ago, and her daughter Betsy didn't 
live long afterwards ; but Nancy Sawyer married, two 
years ago, to a clever farmer, and now lives in Worces- 
ter.' Then clapping a pair of peepers over his nose, and 
talcing a long squint at my phiz, he said, 'I could almost 
swear you are Mrs. Sawyer's son Jack, but that we heard 
he was killed aboard of a British man-of-war fighting 
the Spaniards.' 'Give me your hand old gentleman — 
no, he was not killed, for here he stands before you that 
self.same Jack Sawyer, what's left of him.' 'And a good 
deal more is added to you since I saw you last,' con- 
tinued the old man. 

During the latter part of this narration, I perceived 



176 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 



the voice of poor Jack to faulter, for whenever he spoke 
of his mother, the feelings of his nature quite over- 
powered him. 

'Well, I went home with the old man, spun him my 
yarn, and he in return gave me an account of everything 
that had taken place since I had been away. So I slept 
there that night, and the next morning I started for 
"Worcester. You may be sure I was not long in getting 
there. I soon found out Nancy, but she didn't know 
me when I met her, and I didn't much recollect her ; 
but when I told her I was her own brother Jack, she 
jumped, cried and laughed, all in one breath, and then 
threw her arms around my neck and there we was about 
half a glass, blubbering like two young babies. So 
after we got cooled off, we sat down, and each of us told 
all that had taken place during our long separation. 
'Now, Nancy,' says I, '1 have stowed away a few 
shiners, and as poor old mother is gone, and I've got no 
other relation but yourself, we'll just divide them, be- 
tween us.' So 1 hauled out my bag, which had just 
eighty golden guineas in it, I emptied them all on the 
table, and with my hand I scraped off her part, and 
shoved them towards her. 'There,' says I, Hake them 
and much good may they do you.' 'Bless me,' said 
she, 'Jack, you have given me most all of them.' 'Never 
mind that,' said I ; 'I've got enough here to pay my 
shot on to Boston, and have a cruise besides ; and when 
this is gone, why then do ye see, I'll go to sea for 
more.' Well, I staid with Nancy about a week, her 
husband was a clever sort of a green-horn, for he axed 
me one day while we was eating dinner, if sailors didn't 
eat with plates, cups, saucers, knives and forks. I 
soon got tired, and now, says I, 'Nancy, I'm off.' So 
the next day my dunnage was all packed up, and I bid 
Nancy and her husband good-bye, and away I goes to 
Boston. Well I had a bit of a cruise there and then I 
shipped in the States' sarvice for a three years cruise ; 
since that time I have sailed in the merchant sarvice till 
I fell in with this ship, and now you know the rest 
messmate." 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 177 

February 24. — During the preceding days nothing of 
importance transpired; on the 22d, however, it being 
Washington's birth-day, it was spent much in the same 
way as described in a preceding part of this work. 
We were now drawing up toward the parallel of variable 
winds, being in the latitude of 28° north, and 60° west 
longitude, by observation ; the temperature of the weather 
had become cooler, reminding us of the necessity of get- 
ting our Cape Horn dunnage in order, so as to meet the 
attacks of the north-easters in Boston Bay. 

A sailor is literally "Jack of all trades," for you might 
have seen in the forecastle, at this time, a variety of 
them in operation ; such as making and mending shoes 
and boots, some of which had been long thrown aside, 
cutting out jackets and trowsers, what they technically 
call south-westers, all of which, it was presumed, we 
should have occasion for. In this expectation we were 
not disappointed; for, in reaching the parallel of Ber- 
muda, the weather became squally and cold, and we 
were glad to put on extra clothing. The crew were 
much affected by this change of weather; the reason, 
however, is obvious ; for more than a year and a half 
we had either been under the tropics or near the equi- 
noctial line, consequently had become enervated and 
unable to resist the attacks of cold. 

February 28. — We were now to the northward of the 
gulf-stream, and during the last few days the weather 
was boisterous and squally, especially in crossing the 
stream. This day the wind was to the eastward, with 
rain. Spoke several vessels outward bound. At sunset 
the wind hauled to the southward, which gave us a slant 
along shore, and although it blew exceedingly hard, 
nevertheless, she was driven along by a press of canvas, 
it being necessary to improve this wind, because, at this 
season of the year it was sure to be followed by a north- 
wester. At 8 p. m. the wind increased to a gale ; royal 
and top-gallant yards were sent down, and the royal- 
mast housed, close-reefed the topsails, furled the mizzen- 
topsail, mainsail, jib and spanker. At midnight it blew 
16 



178 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

a severe gale, attended with rain, thunder and lightning 
from the north-western board; clewed up the fore- top- 
sail and furled it, the ship being now under close-reefed 
main-topsails and staysails. At 1 a. m. the wind lulled , 
and then the hoarse but distinct voice of my old friend, the 
second officer, shouted : "Clew up the main-topsail and 
furl it." No time was lost in executing this order. We 
sprang aloft on the yard and gathered up the sail, and 
had scarcely reached the deck when the terrific north- 
wester struck her. We were prepared for this attack by 
having previously put the ship's head on the starboard 
tack at midnight. So violent was the gust, that for a 
few minutes she lay gunwale under, nearly motionless. 
In an hour the fury of the gale had subsided and settled 
into a steady but hard north-wester. 

At 4 a. m. set close-reefed fore and main-topsails and 
foresail ; with this short sail, however, we could do little 
more than hold our position. The gale continued to blow 
with violence three days, at the expiration of which, on 
the morning of March 2d, the wind veered to the west- 
ward, which gave us a fine slant, having made our 
westing previous to the commencement of the gale. 
During the whole of the former part of this voyage, 1 
never knew the ship to groan so heavily as under the 
severe press of canvas which was now carried on her. 

March 4. — From the meridian observation this day, 
and the position in which the ship was judged to be by 
the last lunar observation, Block Island bore north-west, 
twenty miles distant ; no land was in sight, however, 
from the mast-head. We continued our course north- 
wardly, edging a little to the westward, and at 4 p. m. 
got soundings. As we continued our course along we 
gradually changed the character of the soundings from 
mud to sand, which evidently indicated that we were 
approaching Nantucket south shoals. 

On the morning of the 5th, the soundings having now 
changed from sand to shells, as indicated by the lead, it 
showed that we were approaching George's. At 8 a. m. 
kept the ship to the northward, and ran along with a 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 179 

light breeze from west-south-west. At 7 p. m. saw Chat- 
ham light, being at this time nearly abreast of it. The 
breeze continuing light, we ran along until 2 a. m. then 
judging ourselves up with Race Point, hauled in to the 
northward and westward for the bay. In the morning, 
at daylight, saw the low sand hills of Cape Cod, bear- 
ing on the beam, and before us lay the broad bay of 
Massachusetts. One or two small vessels were in sight, 
and as we ran along they presently multiplied ; and 
here and there might be seen various descriptions of 
vessels, some standing on a wind and others before it. 
It was a scene of much interest to us, having had so 
long a passage, and with the exception of the English 
fleet, seen off the Cape of Good Hope, we had fallen in 
with but one vessel for nearly six months. All was 
now excitement on board, and preparations were made 
for entering Boston harbor in ship-shape order. For 
the last time, we holy-stoned the decks, cleaned the ship 
fore and aft, above and below. The high land of Cape 
Ann and the rocks of Cohasset were now in sight ; in- 
deed, the scenes which were multiplying around us, 
produced additional interest and excitement, for we were 
now approaching our homes. At 9 a. m. saw the land 
about Hingham, and as we approached Cape Ann, took 
a pilot on board. Nothing could exceed the joy which 
sparkled in the countenances of the crew when the pilot 
stepped upon our deck ; every order was executed with 
astonishing rapidity, and we considered ourselves as 
having almost arrived at the summit of that pleasure 
and happiness contemplated by us for so many months — 
reaching our native land. 

The ship was gliding along at the rate of five knots, 
although the breeze was light, and yet to me she never 
appeared to drag through the water so heavily. As we 
were now in a position for telegraphic view, the fore- 
royal was lowered down and the signal hoisted, so that 
in a short time the owners, (for she had many, having 
been fitted out by a company on shares,) would have 
the welcome intelligence of the arrival ot this most 



180 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

fortunate ship with her rich cargo ; and as the news of 
our coming would soon be known, there would be no 
small stir among the land sharks, and the keepers of 
sailor boarding houses ; doubtless they calculated to 
gull poor Jack out of the greater part of his two and a 
half years' earnings. Already the ship was literally sur- 
rounded with boats, filled with these gentry, who with 
soft words and pleasant looks were now handing over 
to the sailors bottles of rum, which they had managed 
to keep out of sight of the officers ; but it would not do 
among this ship's company, for they were in general 
different men now to what they were when they left 
Boston ; and I was not a little pleased to see that Jack 
Sawyer withstood all the wheedling pretensions of these 
hypocritical fellows. Orders were now given to clear 
the ship of every man who did not belong to her, and 
cast off all the boats. 

In one hour and a half, with the same breeze, we 
should either be to an anchor in the harbor, or made fast 
alongside of India wharf. The guns were sponged and 
loaded in readiness for a salute, and the hands were 
turned up to strip the yards and mast-heads of their 
bandages. We sprung aloft and very soon you might 
have heard those from the mast-head, singing out, "stand 
from under!" Down went mats, leathers, parcelling, 
battens, tail and jewel blocks, and in a few minutes she 
presented as neat a set of mast-heads and spars, as ever 
graced a ship coming into port after a voyage of two 
years and a half. The decks being now perfectly clear 
and clean, short ranges of both cables were overhauled, 
and every preparation was made for coming to. The 
ship was now skimming along gracefully with studding- 
sails set, passing the islands, which form a very narrow 
channel ; but it was a matter of no moment to us, as 
we had a fair wind. At length the last island was 
passed, and the castle and hospital were distinctly 
seen. The royals and studding-sails were now taken 
in, and with colors flying fore and aft she ran up the 
harbor until nearly abreast of India wharf, when every 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 181 

sail was clewed up at once, and the anchor let go for 
the second time since we left Whampoa roads, say one 
hundred and seventy days. The yards were manned, 
sails furled, and a handsome salute of eighteen guns was 
fired. 

It was not long before our decks were crowded, with 
people ; custom-house officers, (fee. ; some inquiring for 
their friends with anxious looks, which bespoke a secret 
foreboding that they were not on board ; others were anx- 
iously inquiring after news, and there were not a few 
sailors landlords, who in the most polite and agreeable 
manner possible addressed our tars, as if they had been 
acquainted with them all their life time, swearing that 
they recognized them as their old boarders, and using 
every art and persuasion in their power to induce them 
to become so again. I soon discovered in the crowd, 
two young men, who were my cousins, and sons to 
the good old relative mentioned in the preceding part 
of this work. It was a happy meeting, although they 
scarcely knew me at first, because of the great alteration 
in my appearance. They informed me that great anx- 
iety was manifested by my friends, and especially by 
my sister, as they had heard but once from the ship 
since her departure from Boston. They had received 
the account of the action on the coast, and the number 
of the killed and wounded, but did not learn their 
names. The anchor was now hove to the bows, and 
the ship hauled into India wharf and made fast. I soon 
got myself in readiness by having what a sailor calls "a 
go-ashore wash," and putting on an entire rig of short 
clothes, securing my chest which contained my Canton 
adventure, and obtaining leave from Captain W. I once 
more set foot on yankee land, after an absence of two 
years and four months. 



16* 



CHAPTER XVI. 

Meeting with friends at home — last interview with jack 
sawyer — sail in the ship baltic for rio janeiro. 

With my two cousins, I started at a rapid pace for 
the residence of my friends in Roxbury. Every object 
I fell in with induced a train of reflections, which 
called forth pleasing recollections of my school boy 
days. Passing up State street, I saw at the lower part 
of the Old State House, the Roxbury, Dedham and 
Milton stages ; I had often rode behind the former 
while crossing Roxbury neck. There too stood the 
Old South, with its tall steeple, presenting the same 
appearance of tottering age that it did ten years be- 
fore. As it was near five o'clock, and this the first 
time I had had my land tacks aboard for six months, 
and the distance being greater than I felt disposed to 
walk, we concluded to take our seats in the Roxbury 
stage, and after a ride of about fifteen minutes, we 
landed before the old family mansion, and I soon found 
myself surrounded by my friends, with my sister at my 
side. This interview was such as might have been ex- 
pected with near and very dear relatives, on meeting after 
& separation of two years and a half; and every pains 
were taken to render me comfortable and happy. Time 
flew with golden wings ; three weeks had now pass- 
ed away since my return, during which I was com- 
pelled to relate with minute exactness all the incidents 
of the voyage ; and then the most earnest entreaties 
were used to induce me to give up the hardships and 
perils of a sea-life, believing, as they said, I must have 
had enough of it ; in this, however, they were greatly 
mistaken, for so far from my ardour being abated for 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 183 

this vocation, it was greatly increased, and my determi- 
nation settled down to follow its pursuits as my future 
calling. 

I frequently met with my old messmate, Jack Sawyer, 
and found that his habits as well as his appearance, 
were altogether changed. He assured me that he had 
"knocked off drinking grog, and had been standing on 
t'other tack," ever since he came on shore : "there," 
said he, offering me his hand ; "is a hard fist and a 
true heart; Jack Sawyer is not the man to forget a 
messmate ; no, no ! you have larnt me how to read 
and write, and your advice has kept me from rum shops 
and other places, that used to swamp all my hard-earned 
rhino when I got on shore. Now, d'ye see, I've got a 
few brads in my pocket, and what's better I've got a 
boatswain's berth on board an East Indiaman. Hark 
ye," continued he, "so long as you bang salt water, 
here's wishing you may have a tight ship, a leading 
breeze and always be able to eat your allowance ; but if 
head winds and foul weather thwart your hawse, and 
you have to bear up in distress, why then, you know 
my name is Jack Sawyer, that's all." 

When he had finished he shook me heartily by the 
hand, and turned away, evidently labouring under great 
emotion. After this I saw him but once more, and then 
he was going on board the East Indiaman, which was 
to sail the next day. Our parting may be better im- 
agined than described ; suffice it to say, his heart was 
too full for utterance, and as he turned off, the last sound 
of his voice struck full upon my ears, as he murmured 
out, "God bless you !" 

About this time I became acquainted with two young 
men, who were shortly to embark in the ship Baltic, 
for Rio de Janeiro, intending to establish a commission 
house in that place. They had chartered the ship, and 
the cargo was of their own procuring, consequently 
consigned to them. The ship was nearly ready for sea, 
and they urged me to seek for a berth on board of her as 
second mate. I did not however think myself suffi- 
ciently qualified for the station, but they were urgent, 



184 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

and introduced me to Captain L. the commander of the 
Baltic, with whom they were well acquainted. After 
some conversation with him as to my pretensions, &c. 
for the place, I produced my recommendation from 
Captain W. when it was settled that I should have the 
berth, at the wages of twenty -five dollars per month, 
and that I must immediately repair on board to enter 
upon the duties of my station. This being settled, 
my friends were soon made acquainted with the ar- 
rangement, and the necessary preparations were made 
for a second voyage, such as getting my sea dunnage 
in order, &c. I purchased a small adventure suitable to 
that market, and with my Canton adventure, which 
I had not sold, amounted in all to about three hundred 
dollars. 

On the 3d of April, 1810, 1 repaired on board with my 
dunnage, &c. and was introduced to the chief mate, 
Mr. R, whom I thought to be (on first acquaintance) a 
very clever fellow. I very soon found out that the 
second officer on board of this ship had not quite so 
easy a berth as in the Dromo. We expected to be ready 
for sea in two or three days, and the crew were shipped, 
amounting in all to fourteen souls, viz. the captain, first 
and second officers, cook, steward, eight men and one 
boy before the mast. On the 5th of May, the cargo 
was completed and the ship was in readiness for sea. 
Our destination was to Rio de Janeiro, and from thence 
to the island Tristan d'Acunha ; here the ship was to 
land Mr. Jonathan Lambert — who had taken passage 
with us for the purpose of settling on that island — and 
take off some men who had been there for some time 
sealing, together with whatever skins they might have 
procured ; the ship was then to return to Rio and load 
for Boston. As this was the last day of our stay in port, 
I went to Roxbury and took an affectionate leave of all 
my friends. 

Next morning, April 6th, the pilot and all hands were 
on board, together with the passengers, three in number, 
two of whom were the young gentlemen before men- 
tioned. At 9 a. m. loosed the sails, sheeted home the 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 185 

topsails and top-gallantsails, overhauled a short range of 
cable, cast off the fasts from the wharf, and in a few 
minutes we were under way, standing out of Boston 
harbour, with a light breeze from the northward. When 
a few yards from the wharf, the customary three cheers 
were given by our crew, which was responded to by the 
crowd on the wharf. Studding-sails were now set below 
and aloft, and as the beautiful view of Boston receded, 
I gazed upon its magnificent buildings and tall spires 
with feelings somewhat similar to those which I expe- 
rienced on my last voyage, although I had now the 
privilege of walking the quarter deck with a handle to 
my name, with the distinctive appellation of "second 
dickey" by the sailors. The Avind hauling to the east- 
ward, we anchored in Nantasket Roads. While here 
every necessary preparation was made for sea, such as 
lashing spars, water casks, &c. and getting on chafing 
gear. At 8 p. m. the watches were chosen as described 
in a former part of this work ; this being over, the crew 
were addressed by the captain in the following words, 
a fair specimen of a sailor's lingo : 

"Well, men, here we are stowed away in this ship 
for a six or eight months' cruise ; all of you have shipped 
for able seamen ; if you do your duty without grumbling 
you will find me an easy going-along-chap, but if you're 
a set of lubberly greenhorns, why then you'll just have 
a hell upon earth on board of this ship. And hark ye," 
said he, significantly pointing to Mr. R. "this is my 
chief mate," and then pointing to me, "this is my second 
mate ; just recollect that. That's all — go below." 

The watch was now set, and as I had the last dog- 
watch from 6 to 8, of course I had some time to reflect 
upon the character of the man under whose command I 
was brought to perform the duties appertaining to the 
voyage ; indeed my opinion of him had been pretty well 
settled before I heard his address to the crew. Capt. 
L. was a man of about forty-five years of age, a thorough 
bred seaman, of limited education, coarse and blunt in 
his manners, and as may be seen from his speech, 



186 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

demanded every respect for himself and officers. He 
was not the one to make any allowance if a man was 
not able to perform the duty he shipped for. Now as 
the second mate of a merchant ship ought to be as active 
and as good a seaman as any on board, of course, I did 
not feel quite at ease with a man of Capt. L ? s peculiar 
temperament to scrutinize my capabilities ; however, I 
was resolved to do the best I could, and make up in 
activity whatever I might be deficient in seamanship. 
Mr. R. the chief mate, was about thirty years of age, 
diametrically opposite in his character to Capt. L. He 
was a man of education but not much of a seaman ; 
pleasant and agreeable in his manners, but exceedingly 
slow in his movements, just such a one as commands 
but little respect from a sailor. As I have described the 
duty appertaining to the officers of a merchant vessel in 
the preceding part of this work, I shall here merely state 
my condition and the duties I had to perform aboard 
of this ship. In the first place then, my situation as 
second mate, was a kind of betwixt-and-between, scarce- 
ly considered by the sailors as an officer, and in the es- 
timation of the captain entitled to but little more respect 
than a foremast hand ; of course my own conduct must 
determine my future position. The duty devolving on 
me was, first, the care of all the spare rigging, junk, 
spun-yarn, blocks, marlinspikes, maiiin, i&c. &c; so 
that whenever any of these are wanting it was neces- 
sary I should be able to put my hands on them at once. 
In reefing topsails I must always be the first man at the 
weather-earing, and in furling, always in the bunt, this 
being the place of an able seaman. There is no surer 
mark of a lubberly second mate than to let any man on 
board get out to the weather-earing before him, or to be 
on the quarter of the yard when furling the courses or 
topsails. In a word, my duty was like that of a boat- 
swain, not only to take care of the spare rigging, blocks, 
&c. but also to look out that the standing rigging did 
not get chafed, and especially to report whenever a yard 
or mast was sprung or defective. It was my duty, in 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 187 

fact, to be at the head and front of all the work going 
on, and also to have it done in a seaman-like manner. 
Now, the rules of this ship were, the forenoon watch be- 
low, and all hands on deck in the afternoon, it may be 
supposed therefore, that I had not much idle time. 

April 7. — The wind hauling to north-north-west this 
morning, all hands were called to get under way ; 
and presently the well known, long drawn sound, was 
heard at the windlass, when the cable was stay; peak, 
topsails and top-gallant sails were loosed, sheeted home 
and hoisted to the mast-head, and the yards braced so 
as to cant the ship's head to starboard ; the windlass 
was again manned, and as soon as the anchor was off 
the ground, the helm was put to starboard ; the ship 
fell off, the yards were braced to the wind, the anchor 
was hove up and catted, the fish-tackle hooked on, and 
the anchor was got on the bows. By this time the ship 
was standing out on her course, running off at the rate 
of six miles per hour. At 11 a. m. discharged the pilot, 
secured the anchors, coiled away cables and cleared 
deck ; and at 3J p. m. Cape Cod light-house was 12 
miles distant. At sunset the land sunk in the distance, 
and once more I was bounding over the ocean where 
sky and water meet. 

I do not design in this voyage to fatigue the reader with 
a detailed account of a sea-life ; that having been given 
in my former voyage, I shall therefore, confine myself 
to the most prominent circumstances connected with it. 
The duties were laborious in the extreme, and particu- 
larly so with me, in view of the great disparity in num- 
ber of the crew with that of the last voyage* Here 
was a ship of 350 tons burthen, with only five men in 
a watch, consequently we were never able to reef top- 
sails without calling all hands, a circumstance frequently 
occurring two or three times during a single watch, 
which was never the case in the former ship. Very fre- 
quently we did not have more than four hours sleep out 
of the twenty-four. However, I was young, with a 
sound and vigorous constitution, and was able to with- 



188 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

stand all the hardships that I was called upon to pass 
through ; indeed such was my pride, that if the duty- 
had been doubly severe, I should have endeavoured to 
perform it without a murmur ; and in the end it greatly 
assisted me, for I found myself somewhat deficient in 
seamanship, but contrived, nevertheless, by promptitude 
and activity to secure the favour and approbation of 
Capt. L. The chief mate, however, was not so fortunate. 
Naturally of a supine disposition and not much of a sea- 
man, and fully aware of his deficiency, he became, not 
only the butt on whom Capt. L. vented his ill humour, 
but at the same time he commanded but little respect 
from the sailors ; his situation therefore, was exceed- 
ingly unpleasant, and had he not have been a relative of 
the owners, Capt. L. would have deprived him of 
authority. 

I now perceived in Capt. L. that, which of all things 
I most dreaded in a master of a vessel, viz. a fondness for 
the glass, and it astonished me, how much he could 
bear and at the same time discharge the duties of his 
station. On these occasions, and they were very fre- 
quent, sail was carried so long that it could not be 
taken in, and frequently the top-gallantsails would be 
spread in a heavy head sea, when she ought to have 
been under double reefed topsails. Twice during the 
passage we lost our top-gallantmast, and top-gallant- 
sails, and was well nigh running the ship under. The 
evil consequences of drinking to excess, particularly 
with a captain of a ship, are incalculable ; for he has not 
only the absolute control of both vessel and cargo 
when at sea, but also the lives of all on board are in his 
hands. It is a matter of astonishment, therefore, that so 
great a responsibility should be given to one, who per- 
haps two-thirds of his time may be under the influence 
of the intoxicating draught; and I have no doubt that 
it has been owing to this miserable vice that so great a 
loss of property, and the lives of so many human beings 
have been sacrificed. I resolved, therefore, from this 
time, never to connect myself to any ship or to embark 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 189 

with any captain addicted to this practice ; indeed so 
great were my fears in reference to Captain L. and the 
ultimate fate of the ship, that I determined if possible 
to frame an excuse on arriving at Rio de Janeiro to leave 
her. Accordingly I began forthwith to make an arrange- 
ment with the two gentlemen that were on board, 
consignees of the cargo, to remain in their employment 
at Rio. This excuse was plausible enough, for those 
two gentlemen had entered into co-partnership with a 
commission house that was largely engaged in naviga- 
tion at that place ; and to further this object^ they 
agreed if Captain L. would permit me to leave the ship, 
that I should have charge of one of their vessels, which 
at that time was trading between Rio and Buenos 
Ayres. This plan being matured, when about half 
passage, it was proposed by those gentlemen to Captain 
L. for his approbation ; but the proposition did not meet 
with a very kind reception. He agreed, however, that 
if a second mate could be procured at Rio he would 
not object ; but if not, I should have to go the voyage. 
Accordingly I was entered in the articles as a passenger, 
in order to meet the scrupulous exactness of the Portu- 
guese, who at that time were constantly alarmed with the 
dread that American vessels would introduce French- 
men clandestinely into the Brazils. 

May 11. — We had now crossed the equinoctial line, 
in thirty-four days from Boston, during which we had 
plenty of hard work and rough usage, and at the same 
time the crew had not feasted upon pies and puddings 
The ship was considerably strained from the undiu 
pressure of canvas that was crowded upon her, whir h 
had caused her to leak, especially in her upper works, 
obliging us to set the pumps agoing every hour. This 
of all the other duties of a ship, a sailor most dislikes, 
more especially when it is brought on by mismanage- 
ment, as was most evidently the case with us. The 
labour of the crew was increased, and of course the 
natural spleen of a sailor was soon manifested by 
grumbling, and in one or two instances, indications of 
17 



190 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

mutiny were exhibited by refusing to do their duty. 
My situation now became exceedingly unpleasant, com- 
pelled as I was to enforce the orders of Captain L. — 
which in my judgment were sometimes very unjust — 
with a set of men, whom I must acknowledge, were 
treated rather like slaves than freemen. In order there- 
fore to have the duty of the ship carried on, and the 
orders of Captain L. executed with promptness, and to 
preserve the discipline of the ship, I was necessarily 
compelled, much against my own feelings, to resort to 
corporal punishment. This mode of enforcing obedience 
however, was resorted to but once; after which the 
duties of the ship were executed without any more 
grumbling. 

May 14. — This morning saw Cape Frio bearing 
west-south-west, distant fourteen miles. During the 
whole of the day run down the land under a press of 
canvas, with the wind from south-east; towards sunset 
the wind dying away, hauled in, and anchored abreast 
of the island of Maricas, in twenty fathoms water. This 
is one of a group of small islands situated at a short 
distance from the harbour of Rio de Janeiro. Here we 
lay during the night. At 8 a. m. the sea breeze setting 
in, we immediately got under way and stood into the 
harbour. When abreast of the "Sugar-loaf," we were 
boarded by a boat from the fort, from which a pass was 
obtained to proceed up the bay to the anchorage ground ; 
and before we reached the latter place Ave were boarded 
by several boats belonging to men-of-war, the custom 
house and the forts. At 11 a. m. came to an anchor 
in seven fathoms water, abreast of the island of Cobras ; 
after which we moored the ship. Here we underwent 
a severe examination by the officers of a Portuguese 
man-of-war, by whom we were forbidden to go on shore 
until a further examination was made by the intendant 
of the police. In this way we were kept in suspense 
until night, without any communication with the shore. 
After dark to our great surprise, a large boat full of 
armed soldiers came alongside, the commanding officer 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 191 

of which jumped on board, and ordered all the pas- 
sengers with myself into the boat, giving us no time 
for expostulation, and without any ceremony drove us 
into the boat at the point of the bayonet ; a proceeding 
perfectly unaccountable to us. They took us on shore 
with great silence and secrecy, and when there, put us 
under a strong guard of soldiers, who conducted us to a 
loathsome prison appropriated for felons. There we 
were thrust in with as little ceremony as we had been 
taken out of the ship, and then left to reflect upon 
our most unenviable situation. In one corner of this 
wretched prison, were about thirty negroes, chained in 
pairs ; in another were as many more squallid, miserable 
looking white men, whose very appearance denoted 
crime of the deepest dye. These, as I afterwards learned, 
were imprisoned for deeds of the most horrid character. 
Indeed the whole interior of this prison was a mass of 
filth and vermin. The stench was so horrible, that it 
was impossible for any of us to close our eyes during 
the night, and we gave some of those miserable wretches 
a few pieces of silver to let us stand on a bench, that 
was near to a window secured with large iron bars, so 
that we might inhale the fresh air. In this way we 
passed a sleepless night, in the deepest suspense, being 
wholly ignorant of the cause of this outrage. We were 
conscious that none of their laws had been violated by 
us, and that all the ship's papers and our passports were 
correct and in strict compliance with their laws. With 
these reflections, therefore, we felt assured that so soon 
as our minister was apprfsed of our condition, that he 
would immediately get us released. This, however, was 
not so easy a matter, for two reasons, the first and most 
prominent of which was, that the American minister 
had not much influence at the court of Brazils, and 
secondly, because of the many forms necessary to pass 
through before it could be effected. However, the next 
day we were visited by several American merchants, 
who assured us that every thing was in a fair train, and 
that Mr. Sumpter, our minister, would have us released 



192 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

the next morning. Now the idea of passing another 
night here was almost insupportable, especially by the 
two young merchants ; but to make a virtue of neces- 
sity, and cheered by the reflection that our sufferings 
would be short, we waited with patience until the next 
morning, when an order came for our discharge. We 
proceeded to the residence of S. W. B. an American 
commission merchant, with whom the two young men 
who came out in the ship had entered into co-partner- 
ship. From Mr. B. we learned the cause of our im- 
prisonment. It seems that information had been received 
that an American vessel from France via United States, 
had actually sailed from the former place for this port, 
having passengers on board who were supposed to be 
French spies. It further appears that our ship answer- 
ing the description of the obnoxious vessel, their sus- 
picions fell upon us as being the spies in question ; the 
result of which was, we were thrown into prison. 

It is probably known that Don John, the king of Por- 
tugal, left Lisbon with his family in haste, (at the period 
when the French endeavored to possess themselves of 
that capital) and took up his residence at Rio ; and not-* 
withstanding the broad Atlantic rolled between his ene- 
mies and himself, and, besides, the combined armies of 
England and Portugal were opposing them ; yet, never- 
theless, so great were his fears, that the most rigid search 
was made in every foreign ship, to ascertain, if possible, 
if any Frenchmen were secreted in them. The affair 
of our imprisonment created much excitement, and it 
became the subject of a correspondence between the 
American minister and the court of Brazil ; in conse- 
quence of which the Americans were treated with 
the greatest respect during the remainder of my stay 
in Rio. I now repaired on board the ship, and her 
cargo was soon discharged, the ballast taken in, &c. 
md she was made ready to proceed on her voyage, 
fortunately Capt. L. had procured a young man to 
act in my place as second mate, and I was paid off 
and formally discharged from the ship to my great 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 193 

satisfaction. Having previously taken my adventure on 
shore, I exchanged the customary adieus with Capt. L. 
Mr. R. the crew, &c. and taking my dunnage, I repaired 
to the residence of my friends, in whose employ I im- 
mediately entered. I disposed of my adventure to con- 
siderable advantage, and remained with those gentlemen 
six months, in the capacity of clerk ; after which they 
gave me command of a fine brig to run between Rio, 
Montevideo and Buenos Ay res. I remained in this 
vessel fourteen months, during which I made five suc- 
cessful voyages for the owners, and was so fortunate 
as to scrape together about three thousand dollars for 
myself, which was placed in their hands, as I had the 
most unbounded confidence in their integrity. 



17* 



CHAPTER XVII. 

UNFORTUNATE CIRCUMSTANCES INDUCING A RETURN TO THE 
UNITED STATES ARRIVAL WARLIKE PREPARATIONS PROS- 
PECTS OF REMAINING ON SHORE BROKEN UP ENTERED ON 

BOARD A PRIVATEER SAILED ON A CRUISE. 

I now sailed on my sixth voyage, and arrived safely in 
Buenos Ayres. After having been there a few days an- 
other vessel arrived from Rio, having persons on board 
with powers to attach my vessel and cargo from, under 
me. I soon learned that the house at Rio, in whose 
employment I sailed, had failed for a large amount, and 
that these persons were their creditors. I was now 
left without a vessel, and fearing that I should lose the 
funds placed in their hands, lost no time n getting back 
to Rio, and when there I found the condition of the house 
even worse than I had anticipated ; for all my two years 
hard earnings were gone, with the exception of about 
five hundred dollars. 

With this small sum I took passage in the ship 
Scioto, bound for Baltimore. I was induced to do this 
because little doubt was then entertained that there 
would be a war between the United States and Eng- 
land, and I was anxious to get home, if possible, before 
it was declared. We were fortunate enough to arrive 
in safety, although the war had been actually declared 
fifteen days before we got inside of the Capes of Vir- 
ginia. When we arrived in Baltimore I found the most 
active preparations were in progress to prosecute the 
war. A number of privateers were fitting out ; and every 
where the American flag might be seen flying, denoting 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 195 

the places of rendezvous ; in a word the most intense 
excitement prevailed throughout the city, and the posi- 
tion of a man was not at all enviable, if it were ascer- 
tained, that he was in any degree favorably disposed 
towards the British. It happened to fall to my lot to be 
an eye-witness to the unpleasant affair of tarring and 
feathering a certain Mr. T. and also to the demolishing 
of the Federal Republican printing office by the mob. 

Once more I returned to Boston to see my friends, 
whom I found pretty much in the same situation as 
when I left them. Two years had made but little alte- 
ration, except that my sister was married, and my father, 
being aged, had retired from the navy, and taken up his 
residence in Marshfield. Every persuasion was now 
used to induce me to change my vocation, backed by 
the strong reasoning that the war would destroy com- 
merce, and that no alternative would be left for seamen 
but the unhallowed pursuit of privateering. These argu- 
ments had great weight, and I began to think seriously 
of entering into some business on shore, but then most 
insuperable difficulties arose in my mind as to the 
nature of the business I should pursue. My means 
were limited, quite too much so to enter into the mer- 
cantile line, and the only branch of it with which 
I was acquainted being the "commission ;" another 
obstacle presented itself, which was, to fix upon an 
eligible location. These difficulties, however, soon van- 
ished, for a wealthy relative offered me the use of his 
credit, and a young friend with whom I was acquainted, 
having just returned from the south, informed me that 
there was a fine opening in Richmond, Virginia. Where- 
upon^ we immediately entered into a mutual arrangement 
to establish a commission house in that place. The 
necessary preparations were made and we started for 
the south. 

To my great surprise and mortification, however, 
when we reached Norfolk, I ascertained that my partner 
was without funds ; neither had he the expectation of 
receiving any. This changed the current of my fortunes 



196 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

altogether. I was deceived by him, consequently all 
intercourse was broken off between us. As my prospects 
were now blasted, in reference to establishing myself 
in business on shore, I resolved once more to embark 
on my favourite element, and try my luck there again. 
Here too in Norfolk, all was bustle and excitement, 
drums beating, colours flying, soldiers enlisting, men 
shipping in the States' service, and many privateers 
fitting out, creating such a scene of confusion, as I had 
never before witnessed. 

Young and of an ardent temperament, I could not 
look upon all these stirring movements an unmoved 
spectator, accordingly, I entered on board the George 
Washington privateer, in the capacity of first lieutenant. 
She mounted one twelve pounder on a pivot, and two 
long nines, with a complement of eighty men. She was 
in all respects a beautiful schooner of the most exact 
symmetrical proportions, about one hundred and twenty 
tons burthen . and said to be as swift as any thing that 
floated the ocean. In reference to this enterprise, I 
must confess, in my cooler moments, that I had some 
qualms ; to be sure here was an opportunity of making 
a fortune, but then it was counterbalanced by the pos- 
sibility of getting my head knocked off, or a chance of 
being thrown into prison, for two or three years ; how- 
ever I had gone too far to recede, and I determined to 
make the best of it. Accordingly I placed what little 
funds I had in the hands of Mr. G. of Norfolk, and 
repaired on board of the privateer with my dunnage 
contained in a small trunk and clothes bag. On the 
morning of July 20th, 1812, the officers and crew being 
all on board, weighed anchor, made sail and stood down 
the river, with the stars and stripes floating in the breeze, 
and was saluted with a tremendous cheering from the 
shore. I now was on board of a description of craft with 
which I was entirely unacquainted ; t had therefore, 
much to learn. The lieutenants and prize-masters, 
however, were a set of clever fellows, but the Captain 
was a rough uncouth sort of a chap, and appeared to me 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 197 

to be fit for little else than fighting and plunder. The 
crew were a motley set indeed, composed of all nations ; 
they appeared to have been scraped together from the 
lowest dens of wretchedness and vice, and only want- 
ed a leader to induce them to any acts of daring and 
desperation. Our destination in the first place was 'to 
cruise on the Spainish main, to intercept the English 
traders between the West India islands and the ports 
on the main. This cruising ground was chosen because 
in case of need, we might run into Carthagena to refit 
and water. When we had run down as far as Lynn- 
haven Bay, information was received from a pilot boat, 
that the British frigate Belvidere was cruising off the 
Capes. This induced our captain to put to sea with the 
wind from the southward, as the privateer's best sailing 
was on a wind. 

On the morning of 22d of July, got under way from 
Lynnhaven Bay, and stood to sea. At 9 a. m. when 
about 10 miles outside of Cape Henry light-house, a 
sail was discovered directly in the wind's eye of us, 
bearing down under a press of canvas. Soon ascertain- 
ing she was a frigate, supposed to be the Belvidere, we 
stood on upon a wind until she came within short gun- 
shot. Our foresail was now brailed up and the topsail 
lowered on the cap, at the same time the frigate took in 
all her light sails and hauled up her courses. As the 
privateer lay nearer the wind than the frigate, the latter 
soon dropt in our wake, and when within half gun shot, 
we being under cover of her guns, she furled her top- 
gallant sails, at the same moment we hauled aft the fore 
sheet, hoisted away the topsail and tacked. By this 
manoeuvre the frigate was under our lee. We took her 
fire and continued to make short boards, and in one 
hour were out of the reach of her guns without receiving 
any damage. This was our first adventure, and we 
hailed it as a^good omen. The crew were all in high 
spirits, because the frigate was considered to be as fast 
as anything on our coast at that time, and, furthermore, 
the captain had not only gained the confidence of the 



198 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

crew by this daring manoeuvre, but we found we could 
rely upon our heels for safety. 

Nothing material occurred until we got into the Mona 
passage, when we fell in with the Black Joke privateer, 
of New York, and being unable to ascertain her charac- 
ter in consequence of a thick fog, we came into collision 
and exchanged a few shots, before we found out we 
both wore the same national colors. This vessel was a 
sloop of not very prepossessing appearance, but as she 
had obtained some celebrity for sailing in smooth water, 
having previously been an Albany packet, she was fitted 
out as a privateer. In a sea-way, however, being very 
short, she could not make much more head- way than a 
tub. It was agreed between the respective captains of 
the two vessels, to cruise in company, and in the event 
of a separation, to make a rendezvous at Carthagena. 
We soon ascertained that our craft would sail nearly two 
knots to the Black Joke's one, and it may well be sup- 
posed that our company-keeping was of short duration. 
In two days after parting with her the long wished for 
cry of "sail ho !" was sung out from the mast-head. 
Made all sail in chase. When within short gun-shot, 
let her have our midship gun, when she immediately 
rounded to, took in sail, hoisted English colors, and 
seemed to be preparing to make a gallant defence. In 
this we were not mistaken, for as we ranged up, she 
opened a brisk cannonading upon us. I now wit- 
nessed the daring intrepidity of Captain S. for while 
the brig was pouring a destructive fire into us, with 
the greatest coolness he observed, to the crew, "that 
vessel, my lads, must be ours in ten minutes, after 
I run this craft under her lee quarter." By this time 
we had sheered up under her stern and received the 
fire of her stern-chasers, which did us no other damage 
than cutting away some of our ropes and making 
wind holes through the sails. It was the work of a mo- 
ment ; the schooner luffed up under the lee of the brig, 
and with almost the rapidity of thought, we were made 
fast to her main chains. "Boarders away!" shouted 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 199 

Capt. S. We clambered up the sides of the brig and 
dropped on board of her like so many locusts, not, how- 
ever, till two of our lads were run through with board- 
ing-pikes. The enemy made a brave defence, but 
were soon overpowered by superior numbers, and the 
captain of the brig was mortally wounded. In twenty 
minutes after we got alongside, the stars and stripes 
were waving triumphantly over the British flag. In 
this affair we had two killed and seven slightly wound- 
ed, besides having some of our rigging cut away and 
sails somewhat riddled. The brig was from Jamaica, 
bound to the Gulf of Maracaibo ; her cargo consisted of 
sugar, fruit, &c. She was two hundred tons burthen, 
mounted six six-pounders, with a complement of fifteen 
men all told. She was manned with a prize master and 
crew, and ordered to any port in the United States 
wherever she could get in. 

This affair very much disgusted me with privateering, 
especially, when I saw so much loss of life and beheld 
a band of ruthless desperadoes, for such I must call our 
crew, robbing and plundering a few defenceless beings, 
who were pursuing both a lawful and peaceable calling. 
It induced me to form a resolve that I would relinquish 
what to my mind, appeared to be an unjustifiable and 
outrageous pursuit, for I could not then help believing, 
that no conscientious man could be engaged in priva- 
teering, and certainly there was no honour to be gained 
by it. The second lieutenant came to the same deter- 
mination as myself, and both of us most cordially de- 
spised our commander, because it was with his permis- 
sion, that those most outrageous scenes of robbing and 
plundering were committed on board of the brig. After 
repairing damages, &c. we steered away for Carthagena 
to fill up the water casks and provision the privateer, so 
that we might extend the cruise. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

BOARDING IN THE NIGHT — CAPTURE — TAKEN PRISONER BY CAN- 
NIBALS HORRIBLE TREATMENT RELEASE BY RANSOM SAIL 

FOR CARTHAGENA. 

In a few days we arrived at our destination, without 
falling in with any other vessel, and on entering the 
port we found our comrade, the Black Joke privateer, 
who had arrived a day or two previously. Oarthagena 
lies in the parallel of 10° 26' north, and 75° 38' west 
longitude ; the harbour is good with an easy entrance, 
the city is strongly fortified by extensive and command- 
ing fortifications and batteries, and I should suppose if 
well garrisoned and manned, they would be perfectly 
able to repel any force which might be brought to bear 
against them. It is well known, at this time, that all 
the provinces of Spain had shaken off their allegiance 
to the mother country, and declared themselves inde- 
pendent. Carthagena, the most prominent of the^ pro- 
vinces, was a place of considerable commerce, and about 
this time a few men-of-war and a number of privateers 
were fitted out there. The Carthagenian flag now pre- 
sented a chance of gain to the cupidity of the avaricious 
and desperate, among whom was our commander, Capt. 
S. As soon, therefore, as we had filled up our water, &c. 
a proposition was made by him to the second lieutenant 
and myself, to cruise under both flags, the American and 
Carthagenian, and this to be kept a profound secret 
from the crew until we had sailed from port. Of 
course we rejected the proposition with disdain, and 
told him the consequence of such a measure in the 
event of being taken by a man-of-war of any nation, 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 201 

that it was piracy to all intents and purposes, according 
to the law of nations. We re-fused to go out in the pri- 
vateer if he persisted in tnis most nefarious act, and we 
heard no ny t e of it while we lay in port. 

In a iev\r days we were ready for sea, and sailed in 
company with our companion, her force being rather 
more than ours, but the vessel very inferior, as stated 
before, in point of sailing. While together we captured 
several small British schooners, the cargoes of which, 
together with some specie, were divided between the 
two privateers. Into one of the prizes we put all the 
prisoners, gave them plenty of water and provisions, 
and let them pursue their course : the remainder of the 
prizes were burned. We then parted company, and 
being short of water, run in towards the laud in order 
to ascertain if any could be procured. In approaching 
the shore, the wind died away to a perfect calm, and at 
4 p. m. a small schooner was seen in shore of us. As 
we had not steerage way upon our craft, of course it 
would be impossible to ascertain her character before 
dark; it was therefore determined by our commander to 
board her with the boats under cover of the night. 
This was a dangerous piece of service, but there was no 
backing out. Volunteers being culled lor, I stepped for- 
ward, and very soon a sufficient number of men to man 
two boats offered their services to back me. Every dis- 
position was made for the attack. The men were 
strongly armed, oars muffled, and a grappling placed in 
each boat. The bearings of the strange sail were taken, 
and night came on perfectly clear and cloudless. 1 took 
command of the expedition, the second lieutenant hav- 
ing charge of one boat. The arrangement was to keep 
close together until we got sight of the vessel; the 
second lieutenant was to board on the bow and I 
on the quarter. We proceeded in the most profound 
silence ; nothing was heard save now and then a slight 
splash of the oars in the water, and before we obtained 
sight of the vessel, I had sufficient time to reflect on this 
most perilous enterprise. 

My reflections were not of the most pleasant descrip- 
tion, and I found myself inwardly shrinking, when I 
18 



202 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

was aroused by the voice of the bowman, saying, "there 
she is, sir, two points on the starboard bow." There 
she lay sure enough, with every sail hoisted, and a light 
was distinctly seen, as we supposed, t'ror her deck, it 
being too high for the cabin windows. We nu <v held 
a consultation and saw no good reason to change the 
disposition of attack, except that we agreed to board 
simultaneously. It may be well to observe here, that any 
number of men on a vessel's deck in the night, have 
double the advantage to repel boarders, because they 
may secrete themselves in such a position as to fall upon 
an enemy unawares, and thereby cut them off with lit- 
tle difficulty. Being fully aware of this, I ordered the 
men as soon as we gained the deck of the schooner, to 
proceed with great caution, and keep close together till 
every hazard of the enterprise was ascertained. The 
boats now separated and pulled for their respective sta- 
tions, observing the most profound silence. When we 
had reached within a few yards of the schooner, we 
laid upon our oars for some moments, but could neither 
hear nor see anything. We then pulled away cheerily, 
and the next minute were under her counter, grappled 
to her, every man leaped on the deck without opposition. 
The other boat boarded nearly at the same moment, and 
we proceeded in a body, with great caution to examine 
the decks. A large fire was in the caboose, and we 
soon ascertained that her deck was entirely deserted, and 
that she neither had any boat on deck nor to her stern. 
We then proceeded to examine the cabin, leaving an 
armed force on deck. The cabin like the deck, being 
deserted, the mystery was easily unravelled. Probably 
concluding that we should board them under cover of 
the night, they no doubt, as soon as it was dark, took 
to their boats and deserted the vessel. On the floor of 
the cabin was a part of an English ensign, and some 
papers which showed that she belonged to Jamaica. 
The little cargo on board consisted of Jamaica rurn, 
sugar, fruit, &c. 

The breeze now springing up and the privateer shew- 
ing lights, we were enabled to get alongside of her in a 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 203 

couple of hours. A prizemaster and crew were put on 
board, with orders to keep company. During the night 
we ran along shore, and in the morning took on board 
the privateer the greater part of the prize's cargo. 

Being close in shore in the afternoon, we descried a 
settlement of huts, and supposing that water might be 
obtained there, the two vessels were run in and anchored 
about two miles distant from the beach. A proposition 
was made to me by Capt. S. to get the water casks on 
board the prize schooner, and as she drew a light draft 
of water, I was to run her in and anchor her near the 
beach, taking with me the two boats and twenty men. 
I observed to Capt. S. that this was probably an indian 
settlement, and it was well known that all the Indian 
tribes on the coast of Rio de la Hache were exceedingly 
ferocious, and said to be cannibals ; and it was also well 
known that whoever fell into their hands never escaped 
with their lives ; so that it was necessary before any 
attempt was made to land, that some of the Indians 
should be decoyed on board and detained as hostages 
for our safety. At the conclusion of this statement a 
very illiberal illusion was thrown out by Capt. S. and 
some doubts expressed in reference to my courage ; he 
remarking that if I was afraid to undertake the expedi- 
tion he would go himself. This was enough for me ; 
I immediately resolved to proceed if I sacrificed my life 
in the attempt. The next morning twenty water casks 
were put on board the prize, together with the two boats 
and twenty men, well armed with muskets, pistols, and 
cutlasses, with a supply of ammunition ; I repaired on 
board, got the prize under way, run in and anchored 
about one hundred yards from the beach. The boats 
were got in readiness, and the men were well armed and 
the water casks slung ready to proceed on shore. I had 
examined my own pistols narrowly that morning, and 
had put them in complete order, and as I believed, had 
taken every precaution for our future operations so as 
to prevent surprise. 

There were about a dozen ill constructed huts or wig- 
wams, but no spot of grass or shrub was visible to the 



204 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

eye, with the exception of here and there the trunk of 
an old tree. One solitary Indian was seen stalking on 
the beach, and the whole scene presented the most wild 
and savage appearance, and to my mind augured very 
unfavourably. We pulled in with the casks in tow, 
seven men being in each boat ; when within a short 
distance of the beach, the boats' heads were put to sea- 
ward, when the Indian came abreast of us. Addressing 
him in Spanish, I inquired if water could be procured, 
to which he replied in the affirmative. I then displayed 
to his view some gew-gaws and trinkets, at which he 
appeared perfectly delighted, and with many signs and 
gestures invited me on shore. Thrusting my pistols 
into my belt, and buckling on my cartridge-box, I gave 
orders to the boats' crews, that in case they discovered 
anything like treachery or surprise, after I had gotten on 
shore, to cut the water casks adrift, and make the best 
of their way on board the prize. As soon as I had 
jumped on shore, I inquired if there were any live stock, 
such as fowls, &c. to be had ? Pointing to a hut about 
thirty yards from the boats, he said that the stock was 
there, and invited me to go and see it. I hesitated, sus- 
pecting some treachery; however, after repeating my 
order to the boats' crews, I proceeded with the Indian, 
and when within about a half dozen yards of the hut, 
at a preconcerted signal (as I supposed) as if by magic, 
at least one hundred Indians rushed out with the 
rapidity of thought. I was knocked down, stripped of 
all my clothing except an inside flannel shirt, tied hand 
and foot, and then taken and secured to the trunk of a 
large tree, surrounded by about twenty squaws, as a 
guard, who with the exception of two or three bore a 
most wild and hideous look in their appearance. The 
capture of the boats' crews was simultaneous with my 
own, they being so much surprised and confounded at 
the stratagem of the Indians, that they had not the 
power, or presence of mind to pull off. 

After they had secured our men, a number of them 
jumped into the boats, pulled off and captured the prize 
without meeting with any resistance from those on board. 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN, 205 

they being only six in number. Her cable was then cut 
and she was run on the beach, when they proceeded to 
dismantle her, by cutting the sails from the bolt-ropes, 
and taking out what little cargo there was, consisting of 
Jamaica rum, sugar, &c. This being done they led 
ropes on shore from the schooner, when about one hun- 
dred of them hauled her up nearly high and dry. 

By this time the privateer had seen our disaster, stood 
boldly in and anchored within less than gun-shot of the 
beach ; they then very foolishly opened a brisk cannon- 
ade, but every shot was spent in vain. This exasperated 
the Indians, and particularly the one who had taken 
possession of my pistols. Casting my eye around, I 
saw him creeping toward me with one pistol presented, 
and when about five yards off, he pulled the trigger. 
But as providence had no doubt ordered it, the pistol 
snapped ; at the same moment a shot from the privateer 
fell a few yards from us, when the Indian rose upon 
his feet, cocked the pistol and fired it at the privateer ; 
turning round with a most savage yell, he threw the 
pistol with great violence, which grazed my head, and 
then with a large stick beat and cut me until I was 
perfectly senseless. This was about 10 o'clock, and I 
did not recover my consciousness until, as I supposed, 
about 4 o'clock in the afternoon. I perceived there 
were four squaws sitting around me, one of whom from 
her appearance, having on many gew-gaws and trinkets, 
was the wife of a chief. As soon as she discovered 
signs of returning consciousness, she presented me with a 
gourd, the contents of which appeared to be Indian 
meal mixed with water; she first drank and then gave 
it to me, and I can safely aver, that I never drank any 
beverage before or since which produced such relief. 

Night was now coming on, the privateer had got 
under way and was standing off and on, with a flag of 
truce flying at her mast-head. The treacherous Indian 
with whom I had first conversed, came and with a 
malignant smile, gave me the dreadful intelligence that 
at 12 o'clock that night we were to be roasted and eaten. 
18* 



206 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

Accordingly at sunset I was unloosed and conducted 
by a band of about half a dozen savages to the spot, 
where I found the remainder of our men firmly secured 
by having their hands tied behind them, their legs 
lashed together, and each man fastened to a stake that 
had been driven into the ground for that purpose. 
There was no possibility to elude the vigilance of these 
miscreants. As soon as night shut in, a large quantity 
of brush wood was piled around us, and nothing now 
was wanting but the fire to complete this horrible 
tragedy. The same malicious savage approached us 
once more and with the deepest malignity taunted us 
with our coming fate. Having some knowledge of the 
Indian character, I summoned up all the fortitude of 
which I was capable, and in terms of defiance told him 
that twenty Indians would be sacrificed for each one 
of us sacrificed by him. I knew very well that it would 
not do to exhibit any signs of fear or cowardice, and 
having heard much of the cupidity of the Indian cha- 
racter, I offered the savage a large ransom if he would 
use his influence to procure our release. Here the con- 
versation was abruptly broken off by a most hideous 
yell from the whole tribe, occasioned by their having 
taken'large draughts of the rum, which now began to 
operate very sensibly upon them ; and as it will be 
seen operated very much to our advantage. This thirst 
for rum caused them to relax their vigilance, and we 
were left alone to pursue our reflections, which were 
not of the most enviable or pleasant character. A thou- 
sand melancholy thoughts rushed over my mind. Here 
I was, and in all probability in a few hours I should be 
in eternity, and my death, one of the most horrible 
description. Oh! thought I, how many were the en- 
treaties and arguments used by my friends to deter me 
from pursuing an avocation so full of hazard and peril. 
If I had taken their advice, and acceded to their solici- 
tations, in all probability I should at this time have been 
in the enjoyment of much happiness. I was aroused 
from this reverie by the most direful screams from the 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 207 

united voices of the whole tribe, they having drank large- 
ly of the rum and become so much intoxicated that a 
general fight ensued. Many of them lay stretched on 
the ground with tomahawks deeply implanted in their 
skulls, and many others as the common phrase is, Avere 
dead drunk. This was an exceedingly fortunate cir- 
cumstance for us. With their senses benumbed, of 
course, they had forgotten their avowal to roast us, or it 
may be the Indian to whom I proposed ransom, had 
conferred with the others, and they no doubt agreed to 
spare our lives until the morning. It was a night, 
however, of pain and terror, as well as of the most 
anxious suspense, and when the morning dawn broke 
upon my vision, I felt an indescribable emotion of 
gratitude, as I had fully made up in my mind the night 
previous, that long before this time I should have been 
sleeping the sleep of death. It was a pitiable sight 
when the morning light broke forth, to see twenty 
human beings stripped naked, with their bodies cut and 
lacerated, and the blood issuing from their wounds, with 
their hands and feet tied, and their bodies fastened to 
stakes with brush wood piled around them, expecting 
every moment to be their last. My feelings on this 
occasion can be better imagined than described; suffice 
it to say, that I had given up all hopes of escape, and 
gloomily resigned myself to death. When the fumes 
of the liquor had in some degree worn off from the 
benumbed senses of the savages, they arose and ap- 
proached us, and for the first time, the wily Indian 
informed me that the tribe had agreed to ransom us. 
They then cast off the lashings from our bodies and 
feet, and with our hands still secured, drove us before 
them to the beach. Then another difficulty arose ; the 
privateer was out of sight and the Indians became 
furious. To satiate their hellish malice they obliged us 
to run on the beach while they let fly their poisoned 
arrows after us. For my own part my limbs were so 
benumbed that 1 could scarcely walk, and I firmly 
resolved to stand still and take the worst of it, which 



208 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

was the best plan I could have adopted, for when they 
perceived that I exhibited no signs of fear, not a single 
arrow was discharged at me. Fortunately before they 
grew weary of this sport, to my great joy the privateer 
hove in sight. She stood boldly in with the flag of 
truce flying, and the savages consented to let one man 
of their own choosing go off in the boat to procure the 
stipulated ransom. The boat returned loaded with ar- 
ticles of various descriptions, and two of our men were 
released. The boat kept plying to and from the priva- 
teer bringing with them such articles as they demand- 
ed, until all were released except myself. Here it may 
be proper to observe, that the mulatto man who had 
been selected by the Indians, performed all this duty 
himself, not one of the privateer's crew daring to hazard 
their lives with him in the boat. I then was left alone, 
and for my release they required a double ransom. I 
began now seriously to think that they intended to 
detain me altogether. My mulatto friend, however, 
pledged himself that he would never leave me. 

Again for the last time he sculled the boat off. She 
quickly returned with a larger amount of articles than 
previously. It was a moment of the deepest anxiety, 
for there had now arrived from the interior another 
tribe, apparently superior in point of numbers, and elated 
with the booty which had been obtained. They de- 
manded a share, and expressed a determination to detain 
me for a larger ransom. These demands were refused, 
and a conflict ensued of the most frightful' -arid terrific 
character. Tomahawks, knives and arrows, were used 
indiscriminately, and many an Indian fell in that bloody 
contest. The tomahawks were thrown with the swift- 
ness of arrows, and were generally buried in the scull 
or the breast, and whenever two came in contact with 
the famous "Indian hug," the strife was soon over with 
either one or the other, by one plunging the deadly 
knife up to the hilt in the body of his opponent ; nor 
were the poisoned arrows of less swift execution, for 
where ever they struck, the wretched victim was quickly 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 209 

in eternity. I shall never forget the frightful barbarity 
of that hour, although years have elapsed since its oc- 
currence, still the whole scene in imagination is before 
me, — the savage yell of the, war whoop, and the direful 
screams of the squaws still ring afresh in my ears. In 
the height of this conflict, a tall Indian chief, who I 
knew belonged to the same tribe with the young squaw 
who gave me the drink, came down to the beach where 
I was. The boat had been discharged and was laying 
with her head off. At a signal given by the squaw to 
the chief, he caught me up in his arms with as much 
ease as if I had been a child, waded to the boat, threw 
me in, and then with a most expressive gesture, urged 
us off. Fortunately, there were two oars in the boat, 
and feeble as I was I threw all the remaining strength 
I had to the oar. It was the last effort, as life or death 
hung upon the next fifteen minutes. Disappointed of 
a share of the booty, the savages were frantic with rage, 
especially when they saw I had eluded their grasp. 
Rushing to the beach, about a dozen threw themselves 
into the other boat which had been captured, and pulled 
after us ; but fortunately in their hurry they had for- 
gotten the muskets, and being unacquainted with the 
method of rowing, of course they made but little pro- 
gress which enabled us to increase our distance. 

The privateer having narrowly watched all these move- 
ments, and seeing our imminent danger, stood boldly 
on toward the beach, and in the next five minutes_she 
lay between us and the Indians, discharging a heavy 
fire of musketry among them. Such was the high 
excitement of my feelings that I scarcely recollected 
how I gained the privateer's deck. But I was saved, 
nevertheless, though I was weak with the loss of blood 
and savage treatment, my limbs benumbed, and body 
scorched with the piercing rays of the sun, the whole 
scene rushing through my mind with the celerity of 
electricity, it unmanned and quite overpowered me ; I 
fainted and fell senseless on the deck. 



CHAPTER XIX. 

LEAVE THE PRIVATEER AND SAIL FOR THE UNITED STATES — 

ENTER ON BOARD A LETTER OF MARQUE CAPTURED BY THE 

ENGLISH RECAPTURED BY THE PAUL JONES PRIVATEER 

ENTER AS PRIZEMASTER HER OFFICERS AND CREW. 

The usual restoratives and care were administered, 
and I soon recovered from the effects of my capture. 
Some of the others were not so fortunate ; two of them 
especially were cut in a shocking manner, and the 
others were so dreadfully beaten and mangled by clubs, 
that the greatest care was necessary to save their lives. 
My dislike for the captain had very much increased 
since that unhappy, disastrous affair ; it never would 
have occurred if he had taken my advice, as his illibe- 
rality , and the hints he threw out in reference to my want 
of courage, were the causes of my suffering and the sad 
result of the enterprise. I determined, therefore, in 
conjunction with the second lieutenant, to leave the 
privateer as soon as we arrived in Carthagena, to which 
port we were now bound. We soon had a good pretext 
for putting this determination into execution, for two 
days after the affair with the Indians we fell in with a 
Spanish schooner, and for the first time since leaving 
Carthagena, a commission and flag of the latter place 
was produced by Captain S. Under this commission 
and flag he captured the schooner, being deaf to every 
remonstrance that was made to him by us. The prize 
was manned and ordered to Carthagena, where she 
arrived two days after our entrance into that port. The 
second lieutenant and myself immediately demanded 
our discharge and share of prize money, which were 
granted, when we received eighteen hundred dollars each, 
as our part of the captures. With these funds we pur- 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 211 

chased a fine coppered schooner, and succeeded in 
getting a freight and passengers for New Orleans. In 
about a week we sailed and bade adieu to the privateer 
and her unprincipled commander, who would at any 
time sacrifice honor and honesty, and expose himself to 
the ignominious death of a pirate for sordid gain. 

We arrived at New Orleans after a passage of eleven 
days without accident or interruption. Here all was 
excitement, as the news of the capture of the Guerriere 
frigate by the Constitution had just been received. 
Three large privateers were fitting out, from the com- 
manders of which, very tempting offers were thrown 
out to enter on board, but I had enough of privateering, 
and considered it at that time a most unjustifiable mode 
of warfare ; and although I could not obtain business 
for our vessel and the probability was that nothing 
would offer for sometime, I resolved to remain on shore 
rather than to engage again in that nefarious calling. 

New Orleans at that period was swayed by French 
and Spanish influence. The manners and customs of 
these people universally prevailed, consequently pre- 
sented to a mind trained under the strict regulation of 
moral precepts, the greatest degree of repugnance ; and 
although in my travels 1 had frequently been among 
these people in Europe and South America, and of 
course had become acquainted in some degree with 
their habits, yet I could never reconcile the strongly 
marked deviations from those principles of virtue and 
piety so prevalent in the other states and cities of North 
America. The consequence was, that I soon became 
weary, and as we could find no employment for our 
vessel, I embraced a most advantageous offer as first 
officer of a letter of marque, bound to Bordeaux. No time 
was lost in settling the business of the schooner with 
my friend, and as he had also procured a berth, we gave 
, a power of attorney to a merchant of high respectability 
to act for us during our absence. 

On the 8th October, 1812, the letter of marque being 
ready for sea with the crew, &c. all on board, we cast 



212 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

off from the "Levee," dropt down the river, and on the 
12th, went out of the "north-east pass," and discharged 
our pilot. This vessel was a schooner of three hundred 
tons burthen, Baltimore built, and of the most beautiful 
symmetrical proportions; she mounted ten guns with a 
crew consisting of thirty men. Our commander was a 
native of New Orleans, a good seaman, possessing at the 
same time great affability of manners and great" decision 
of character. The second officer was an old American 
seaman, rough in his exterior, yet at the same time 
frank, open and generous, with a frame and constitution 
that seemed to defy the hardships of a sea life. The 
crew were a fine set of able seamen, and in such a craft 
I promised myself as much comfort as could be expected 
apart from the danger of capture and the perils of the sea. 
Nothing material- transpired until we reached the 
Maranilla Reef, when, on the morning of the 21st, we fell 
in with an English frigate. Fortunately for us we were 
to the windward, or she would have crippled us, being 
within gun-shot. All sail was made on the schooner 
and the chase continued throughout the whole day, 
and at sunset we had not gained in distance more than 
one mile; the reason of this, however, was owing to a 
strong breeze which obliged us to "reef down," the 
frigate carrying top-gallantsails during the whole day. 
When night set in, under its cover we altered our course 
and eluded the vigilance of the enemy, for in the morn- 
ing nothing was to be seen from the mast-head. This 
was the first chase, and although I had great confidence 
in the judgment and ability of Captain N. as a schooner 
sailer, yet 1 had not so much in the sailing of the 
schooner ; but was informed by the captain that her best 
play was before the wind. It was not long before we 
had a fair trial of her speed in that way, for on the 25th, 
at 8 in the morning, we fell in with an English sloop-of- 
war, about two miles to the windward. As there was no 
possibility of escaping her on a wind it blowing a strong 
breeze at the time, we kept away right before the wind, 
so as to bring the sails of the sloop-of-war all on one 
mast ; in this way we beat her easily without setting 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 213 

our squaresail. In this the second chase, our confi- 
dence in the speed of the schooner became very much 
strengthened. 

The weather now became boisterous, with almost 
continual westerly gales, and it might be said that we 
were literally under water one half of the time. It was 
a rare thing even with a moderate breeze to see a dry 
spot on our decks when under a press of canvas, and it 
was often the same thing below ; but more especially 
the condition of the forecastle was such, that the men 
had usually to "turn in wet, and turn out smoking." 

•We were now reaching up toward the Grand Banks, 
and as that was the usual track for outward bound 
vessels, we expected to fall in with cruisers, and conse- 
quently kept a good look-out. In this we were not 
mistaken, for on the 5th of November, while scudding 
under a reefed foresail in a westerly gale, we fell in with 
an English seventy-four, about a mile ahead of us, lay- 
ing to on the starboard tack. In order to get clear of 
her it was necessary to haul up, the schooner holding a 
better wind than the seventy-four ; the latter soon drop- 
ped to leeward, but another difficulty now arose ; a 
frigate was seen broad upon the weather quarter, bear- 
ing down for us, under a press of canvas. It was 
evident that our situation was a critical one, for if we 
bore away before the wind we must necessarily close in 
with the seventy-four and receive her fire ; so the only 
alternative therefore, left us was, to keep away four 
points and if possible, pass to the windward of the sev- 
enty-four. Setting every rag of canvas that the schooner 
would bear, careening her lee gunwales to the water, she 
became now so laboursome that it was necessary to 
throw the lee guns overboard. This service was imme- 
diately performed, and to our no small satisfaction she 
bounded over the tremendous sea with ease, and her 
speed was sensibly increased. It was not certain, how- 
ever, that we could pass to windward of the seventy- 
four, at least it was not probable that we should pass 
her out of gun-shot ; and to increase our troubles at this 
19 



214 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

juncture, another sail was made on our starboard bow, 
standing for us on the larboard tack. No alternative 
was now left us but to cross the bows of the seventy- 
four and take the chance of her fire. It was the work 
of a few minutes, as we had closed in with her, and it 
became evident that we should not pass more than half 
gun-shot off. The seventy-four perceiving our predica- 
ment, kept away, but it was too late, she was now on 
our quarter. We received her fire without damage and 
in the next ten minutes had a reefed squaresail set, and 
our noble craft was running off at the rate of twelve 
knots. It became now a stern chase, for already had 
the vessel to windward, which proved to be a sloop-of- 
war, kept away, and under a press of canvas was bear- 
ing down upon our beam. This was the hardest chase, 
for we soon altered the bearings of the frigate and 
seventy-four, but it was not until sunset that we brought 
the sloop-of-war in our wake about two miles distance 
astern. The next morning the gale had increased and 
the sea had risen to such a height, that scudding be- 
came dangerous, it was therefore determined to bring 
the schooner up to the wind. No evolution on board 
of a vessel, especially in a sharp schooner, is fraught 
with so much hazard as bringing her to the wind in a 
heavy gale. The greatest care is necessary by watch- 
ing the rolling seas, which are generally three in num- 
ber, after which it is proportionally smooth for a few 
seconds ; occasionally in these intervals the wind lulls, 
advantage must then be taken, such sail as the vessel 
will bear must be set and well secured, and then she 
should be brought to the wind by easing her helm to 
leeward. This was done with our craft in a seaman- 
like manner ; a balanced reefed foresail was set, the 
sheet bowsed taut aft, and a tackle hooked on to the 
clew, and it bowsed nearly a-midships with the helm 
two and a half points to leeward. She rode in this way 
nearly head to the sea, forging a-head two knots, and not 
making more than two and a half points lee-way. This 
was the first time that I had seen a craft of this descrip- 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 215 

tion hove to, and I was perfectly astonished ; for she 
rode as easy and safely as if she had been in a harbour ; 
this easy motion, however, was owing in a good degree, 
to the management of Capt. N. In the hands of one 
who does not understand managing a craft of this de- 
scription, they prove the most uncomfortable, as well as 
uneasy vessels that float the ocean. 

The gale lasted twelve hours, after which it mode- 
rated, and we bore away to the eastward, the wind con- 
tinued blowing until the 9th of November, when we 
entered the famous Bay of Biscay. The weather now 
became moderate, with a smooth sea, and we were all 
elated with the prospect of reaching our port of destina- 
tion in safety. We were the more confirmed in this 
hope, because at the close of the day on the 13th of 
November, we were within half a day's sail of Bordeaux, 
and fully expected with a moderate breeze, to make 
Cordovan light-house early next morning. Alas ! how 
soon are the brightest prospects frustrated. At sunset 
that evening it fell away calm, and nothing was to be, 
seen, from the mast-head, not a breath of air or "cat's 
paw," was felt during the whole of the night. The 
conversation which I had with Jack Evans, in the ship 
Dromo, on the night previous to the action, was irre- 
sistibly brought to my recollection. It was a night 
similar to this, and although it might have been a 
superstitious feeling, yet I could not shake it off, and a 
secret foreboding agitated my mind and kept it in a 
state of the deepest anxiety and suspense. When the 
morning dawn broke forth conviction came and sus- 
pense was at an end ; for there lay a ship and two brigs, 
with English ensigns flying at their peaks. Flight was 
now impossible, for it was a dead cairn ; and resistance 
was entirely useless, for we lay at the mercy of their 
whole broadsides. Our ensign was hoisted, but we 
well knew to our great mortification it must soon be 
hauled down in unresisting humility. 

The ship first opened her battery upon us, followed 
by one* of the brigs. The rest is soon told. The 



216 LIFE ON THE. OCEAN. 

American ensign was struck, and in twenty minutes 
they had possession of this valuable vessel and cargo. 
So strong was my presentiment of some coming disaster, 
that 1 had taken the precaution during the night to 
sew up in a flannel shirt all the money I had, consisting 
of seventeen doubloons, and then put it on. It was 
well I did so, for these vessels proved to be three 
Guernsey privateers. The ship mounted eighteen guns 
with seventy men, the two brigs each mounted fourteen 
guns with fifty men. After getting possession of the 
schooner, they robbed us of almost everything they 
could lay their hands upon. Our crew were distributed 
among the three vessels ; the captain, myself, and two 
men were put on board the ship. The schooner was 
manned and ordered to the Island of Guernsey ; after 
which the privateers separated to cruise on different 
stations. The destination of the ship, from what I un- 
derstood, was to cruise on the. coasts of Spain and Portu- 
gal. The captain and myself received good treatment, 
tor after we had reported to the captain of the privateer 
the loss of our clothing, he ordered a search to be made 
for them and ah were recovered, as they happened to be 
on board of the ship. They were very much elated 
with their success, and assured us that the first licensed 
ship they fell in with, we should be released. 

Three days after our capture, while standing on a 
wind, the cry of "sail ho!" was heard from the mast- 
head, bearing on the lee beam. The ship was kept off, 
until the strange sail could be clearly made out. It 
proved to be a large rakish looking schooner, evidently 
American by the set of her masts, cut of the sails, and 
colour of the canvas. It was immediately suggested 
to us by the captain of the ship, that there was another 
fine prize, and I was requested to look at her with the 
glass. I soon discovered that she was a man-of-war of 
some description, and intimated as much to him ; he 
was soon confirmed in this opinion, for the strange sail 
kept her wind and manifested no disposition to get out 
of the way. When the ship had gotten within two 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 217 

miles of the schooner, she hauled her wind and made 
every preparation for action. 

Both vessels were under a press of canvas, standing 
on a wind on the larboard tack, but the schooner laying 
a point higher than the ship gained up to windward, 
and although she did not forge a-head quite so fast as 
the ship, yet she was not more than a mile and a half 
astern, exactly in the wake of the ship at sunset. Night 
came on and under its cover, the course of the ship was 
altered in order if possible, to elude the one in pursuit. 
I now perceived that all on board were very much 
alarmed, especially the captain. The crew for the most 
part were a set of raw green-horns, and the captain well 
knew that no dependance could be placed in them. At 
10 o'clock, the wind dying away to a perfect calm, all 
hands were at their quarters and the strictest look-out 
was kept. Our vessel now made sure that they had 
gotten clear of the schooner, for the night was very 
dark and cloudy ; but to their great surprise, at half past 
ten, there she was not more than two musket shots off. 
It was a night of deep suspense to all and especially 
to us. The captain of the ship was aware, that the 
schooner would not engage in the night, consequently 
every advantage was taken of the wind to get clear of 
her, but it was all in vain. At daylight in the morning 
the schooner was about a mile astern ; the ship at this 
time was under a cloud of sail, but it was soon perceived 
that the enemy came up with her. 

Capt. N. and myself were now ordered below, when 
a running fight commenced, the ship discharging her 
stern-chasers in quick succession, and the schooner 
discharging her forward division, which cut away the 
stern boat and part of her starboard quarter. In half 
an hour the contest was decided ; most of the ship's 
crew having deserted their quarters, the British flag was 
hauled down, and she became a prize to the Paul Jones 
privateer, of New York, mounting eighteen guns, with 
a complement of one hundred and twenty men. The 
boats immediately came from the privateer and the crew 
i i9# 



218 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

of the ship was sent on board the schooner. Now a 
scene of plunder and robbery was perpetrated by the 
privateer's crew, which beggars all description ; every 
article of clothing and stores, which they could lay their 
hands upon, were taken without any ceremony. The 
crew were a perfect set of desperadoes and outlaws, 
whom the officers could neither restrain nor command. 
Capt. N. and myself were now conveyed to the priva- 
teer without our clothes, for we had shared the like fate 
with the crew of the ship, by having our trunks broken 
open and robbed of all their contents. 

The excitement being over, a prizemaster and crew 
were put on board of the ship and she was ordered to 
the United States. Capt. N. prevailed with the captain 
of the privateer to let him proceed in her, but all the 
arguments I could make use of to accompany him were 
fruitless ; so I concluded to make the best of a bad bar- 
gain, and was induced by the persuasions of the captain, 
and the prospect of gain held out to me, to enter as 
prizemaster. The next cruising ground was in the 
neighbourhood of the Western Islands, to which with 
all possible despatch we repaired. 

It may not be out of place here to present the reader 
with a sketch of the characters of the men with whom I 
was now associated. Capt. T. a man of about thirty- 
five years of age, was a gentleman in his manners, yet 
impatient of contradiction, bold and fearless, generally 
acted With great- precipitation and consequently without 
the exercise of much judgment. Mr. B. the 1st lieu- 
tenant, was an educated man, a good seaman, cool and 
intrepid, and was strongly marked with the protuberance 
of cause and effect. Mr. J. the 2d lieutenant, was about 
thirty years of age, an active seaman, with limited edu- 
cation, but was a smart and enterprising officer. Mr. G. 
the 3d lieutenant, was a young man who did not seem 
to be designed for the perils of war or the hardships of a 
sea life ; he was amiable, but being limited in his know- 
ledge of seamanship, had very little confidence in him- 
self. I understood, however, that his courage was un- 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 219 

doubted. Mr. W. the sailing-master, was about fifty 
years of age, had formerly been captain of a West India- 
man out of Connecticut, a tolerable good seaman and 
navigator, but he was a low, mean-spirited chap, a kind 
of anomaly, possessing none of those noble and generous 
qualities which characterize a sailor — avaricious to the 
last degree, and would resort to the meanest acts to 
acquire gain. The prizemasters, six in number, (in- 
cluding myself,) were a set of jolly fellows, and believed 
themselves to be superior in rank and talent to any on 
board except the captain, because they concluded that 
they would be installed into the office of commander 
before the cruise was up. Mr. C. lieutenant of marines, 
was neither soldier nor sailor, had been a sort of coun- 
try lawyer, and would rather sit down to a good dinner 
than face an enemy. In going through the drill exercise, 
he might appropriately be called "Captain Bunker" of 
the privateer. The surgeon very much resembled, to 
my imagination, the apothecary of Shakspeare ; he was 
somewhat advanced in years, and had, in the days of 
his youth, read physic in a doctor's office, and listened 
to some half dozen lectures in a medical college, and 
then was dubbed M. D. and let off with a diploma, lan- 
cet and pill-box, to practice upon a credulous public. 
He had obtained some little celebrity by the amputation 
of a limb, but as he could not subsist upon fame exclu- 
sively, being well nigh starved to death for want of 
patients, he resolved (to use his own expression) to sink 
or swim, by plunging into the turbulent scenes of 
war. His usual remedy to a sick sailor was a pint of 
salt water, because, he said, other medicines were too 
costly to be lavished on a common sailor, and because, 
he added, it was a safe and easy remedy, always at hand, 
and cost nothing. On one occasion, the doctor unfortu- 
nately fell from the gangway rail on the deck, and hurt 
himself very seriously ; a wag of a sailor hove a bucket 
over the side and drew up some water, and immediately 
presented the poor surgeon with a tin pot full, swearing 
it was the best medicine that could be given for a wound 



220 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

or fractured limb, "because," he added, with a broad 
grin, "it is safe and easy, and costs nothing." 

And now for the crew; but here description fails. 
The English language is too poor adequately to do 
them justice. Imagine to yourself, reader, a company 
of eighty men selected from the very elite and respecta- 
ble portions of the lowest sinks located in the "Five 
Points," "Hook," and other places of like celebrity in 
New York. Here they were, a motley crew of loafers, 
highbinders, butcher boys, &c. &c. To be sure there 
were now and then a good and true hearted sailor 
among them, but "like angels' visits, they were few and 
far between." As it may well be supposed, long con- 
finement with such a company as above described, 
could not be an enviable situation to a man of taste, but 
the continual hurry-scurry, uproar and excitement on 
board of a privateer, leaves but a short time for reflec- 
tion ; and furthermore being creatures of imitation we 
soon become insensibly conformed to the daily habits 
of surrounding associations. This was my case, for 
although my better judgment taught me to despise this 
mode of warfare — at best in my opinion it is only a 
systematic method to plunder unoffending men — yet I 
soon became in some degree reconciled to my situation. 



CHAPTER XX. 

CAPTURE OF PRIZES CHASE TERMINATION OF CRUISE, &C 

On the morning of the 21st, of November, the priva- 
teer had reached her cruising ground, and on the after- 
noon of the same day made the island of Terceira, one 
of the group of the Azores or Western Islands. The 
third day after cruising around those islands, a small 
English brig, bound to Fayal, was captured without 
resistance ; she was manned and ordered to the United 
States. On the afternoon of the same day, we took a 
small English schooner bound to Terceira, the island 
being then in sight. We released our prisoners and 
putting them all on board this vessel they steered away 
for the island. Prom the captain of the small schooner, 
we obtained information that the Lisbon and Mediter- 
ranean fleets of merchantmen, under a strong convoy, 
had sailed from England. We lost no time, therefore, 
after ridding ourselves of the prisoners, to get on the 
Lisbon station, so that if possible we might intercept 
some of the fleet. A few days with a strong westerly 
breeze, brought us up to our cruising ground. Three 
days thereafter we fell in with a large British brig, and 
after a sharp action of forty minutes succeeded in 
capturing her. She was from Cork bound to Cadiz, 
with a rich and valuable cargo, consisting of Irish cut 
glass, linens, &c. She was manned and ordered to 
the United States where she safely arrived, and the 
vessel and cargo sold for nearly four hundred thousand 
dollars. This was the richest prize taken during the 
cruise, and caused the most extravagant expressions of 
joy among the crew ; but the cruise was not yet up, 



222 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

Entertaining serious doubts as to the privateer's sailing, 
I was under the impression that a smart sailing man-of- 
war with any chance would capture us, for she could 
not compete with the letter of marque which I was last 
on board of, in point of sailing. The next day after the 
capture of the brig, a large sail was made, broad off on 
the starboard bow. We soon came up with the chase 
and she proved to be an American ship bound to 
Lisbon. Captain T. suspecting that she was sailing 
under a British license made the most diligent search 
for it, but for a long time without effect. At length, 
however, the anchors were unstocked, and to our great 
satisfaction we found the license concealed between the 
upper and lower parts of the anchor stock. Of course 
this settled her business, she was a good prize and we 
despatched her to the United States, all of the crew, 
except the officers, entering on board the privateer. _ 

At daylight in the morning, December 4th, we fell in 
with the combined Lisbon and Mediterranean fleets ; 
they were far to leeward of us, consequently we had 
the advantage of choosing our position and harrassing 
them under cover of the night ; but we soon perceived 
Captain T's intention was to run into the midst of the 
fleet in the day time. Against this mode of procedure 
every officer on board remonstrated loudly ; the captain 
however was obstinate, the privateer run down amidst 
the fleet, hauled up alongside of a large ship and engag- 
ed her at pistol shot distance. Signals were now made 
by all of the fleet for an enemy. The convoy being in 
the van, quickly perceived what was going on, and a 
frigate and sloop-of-war were seen bearing down upon 
us under a press of canvas. No other alternative was 
left but to run. The wind being moderate the privateer 
was kept before it dropping the frigate, but the sloop-of- 
war gained upon us, and it seemed to be almost certain 
in gun shot, she let drive her bow-chasers. The im- 
that she would bring us to an action ; but when with- 
jediment attendant upon the firing, together with her 
yawing to bring her guns to bear, the privateer gained 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 223 

about a quarter of a mile. By running the guns forward 
and aft, the schooner was put in proper trim, and it 
soon became evident that we were rapidly leaving the 
chase astern. After running us about six hours, directly 
to leeward of the fleet, the enemy hauled her wind and 
gave up farther pursuit. This unfortunate headstrong 
adventure on the part of Captain T- was the cause of 
destroying all confidence in him. If he had taken 
advice and kept a proper position to the windward, no 
doubt under cover of the night, we might have captured 
two or three of the fleet, and thus completed our cruise. 
But as it was, we ran into the most imminent danger 
without the least probability of capturing a single vessel. 
A day or two after, a large ship was made to the 
windward, having a main top-gallantsail set, and her 
fore and mizen top-gallantmasts down. As we closed 
in with her some bales of cotton were seen lashed on 
the quarter. I was sent aloft with the glass to watch 
her movements, and soon ascertained that she was a 
man-of-war in disguise, and reported my conjecture to 
the captain, who made light of it at first; but his tune, 
however, soon changed when he saw her bear up, and in 
fifteen minutes she was under a cloud of canvas in pur- 
suit of us. The wind was blowing fresh on shore, and as 
we had made the land that morning, we knew that we were 
not more than forty miles distant from it. It was now 
about 3 o'clock in the afternoon. It appeared to be the 
object of the frigate, in case we outsailed her, to run us 
ashore. This was the hardest chase we had during the 
whole time I was on board ; no difference was percep- 
tible in the sailing of the two vessels We were run- 
ning at the rate of eleven knots per hour, consequently 
in four hours with the same speed we should be high 
and dry ashore. The days, however, being short at 
this season of the year, our main hope was to elude the 
enemy when night came on. At sunset the land was 
full in sight, distant about twenty miles, and as we 
were running directly for it, in two hours we should 
either be a prize or a wreck, unless we could evade 



224 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

him by some stratagem. The greatest anxiety and 
excitement reigned throughout the privateer. The crew 
» were packing up their traps, and the officers manifested 
the deepest suspense ; fortunately the weather was 
cloudy, and as night shut in intensely dark, our only 
chance was to profit by it. The lights were now all 
put out and profound silence enjoined. The frigate 
on account of the darkness could not be seen. The 
privateer was luffed to on the starboard tack, every 
sail lowered, and nothing was to be seen except her 
hull and poles. In about ten minutes the frigate 
appeared under a cloud of canvas about two hundred 
yards from us, flying away to leeward like a race horse. 
We now hauled on a wind to the eastward, and saw no 
more of the frigate. Captain T. decided to make a dash 
into the Irish channel, to intercept the West India 
fleet, which was destined to sail in a few days, having 
made their rendezvous at Cork. We obtained this 
information from the captured brig. A few days not 
only brought us to our station but it also terminated our 
cruise, as will be seen in the sequel. 

On the morning of December 14th, it blowing fresh 
from the south-west with thick foggy weather, we were 
in the midst of the West India fleet before we saw 
them, they having sailed from Cork the day previous. 
No better opportunity could be wished for to make 
captures than the one before us ; the fog would some- 
times clear up and then shut in thick, so that we could 
select any vessel we chose. Hauling alongside of a 
fine large brig, we boarded and captured her in ten 
minutes. A prizemaster and crew were put on board 
of her with orders to remain with the fleet until night, 
and then make the best of their way to any port in the 
United States. As I had succeeded in boarding and 
capturing this vessel with only the assistance of five 
men, I was promised the finest ship in the fleet by 
Captain T. The promise was somewhat premature, 
the fulfilment rather problematical. As the fog cleared 
up we selected a large ship and I of course got ready 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 225 

and picked my prize crew to take possession of her 
without farther ado. The fog now set in so thick that 
no object was visible five yards distance, and when it 
lifted there lay a frigate on our starboard bow, not more 
than a musket shot off. She quickly saw us, but being 
on different tacks, she stood on until she got under our 
larboard quarter, then tacked, and gave us a taste of her 
forward division, which did us no other damage than 
to cut away two of the lee main-shrouds. In half an 
hour it was clearly ascertained that we outsailed the 
frigate on a wind. Captain T. now held a council with 
the officers, and proposed to bear up before the wind, as 
that was the privateer's best sailing quality, adding that . 
no doubt could be entertained, but that we could beat 
the frigate before a wind, and in the end by thus 
manoeuvring, we should save our prize. The strongest 
objections were urged to this proposal, especially by the 
first lieutenant, who declared it to be his opinion, that 
if the privateer was kept away, we should be a prize in 
thirty minutes. All opinions and "remonstrances were 
entirely thrown away upon the captain. Every sail was 
got ready, the helm put up, and in a few minutes she 
was under a cloud of canvas before the wind. It was 
not long before Captain T. saw his egregious error, for 
it will be evident to every seaman that we were now 
running nearly in a line to meet the frigate. The latter 
quickly perceiving our mistake, kept her wind, and as 
there was no time now to be lost with us, the helm was 
put down, and the privateer brought to the wind ; in 
the act of doing which, she gave us another division 
of her eighteen pounders, which cut away the fore- 
gaff, the slings of the fore-yard, and riddled our lower 
sails, and to add to the difficulty, our unfortunate ma- 
noeuvre gave the frigate the weather guage of us — the 
principal sail too had become useless from the loss of 
the gaff. The next discharge from the frigate cut 
away the main-topman lift. There beiug a heavy sea 
on at the time, the main-boom got command of the 
quarter deck, and carried away the bulwarks from the 
20 



226 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

tafTrail to the gangway. The frigate now overhauled 
us without any difficulty, and opened a most murderous 
fire with the marines. We were unable to haul down 
our colors from the fact of the topman-lift having been 
shot away. Seven men killed and fifteen wounded, 
lay on our decks, and notwithstanding the frigate must 
have perceived that we were so much cut up, that we 
had no command of the privateer, and that she lay like 
a log upon the water, nevertheless she poured into us 
her quarter deck carronades, which striking us a-mid- 
ships, nearly cut our craft in halves. It was about four 
hours from the time we fell in with the frigate until the 
time of our capture, and in about one hour after, all of 
our crew were snugly stowed away on board of the 
frigate. 

The prisoners were shoved down into the cable tiers, 
but the officers seven in number, were politely treated 
with the soft side of a plank against the ward room 
bulkhead. We were robbed of nearly all our clothing, 
and as roughly used as if we had been pirates. The 
prize was manned and ordered into Plymouth, where 
to our great satisfaction she never arrived, having sunk 
off the land's end. The crew however, were saved in the 
boats. 

The next morning the cry of "sail ho !" was heard 
from the frigate's mast-head ; in three hours she was up 
with the vessel, and to our great mortification, it proved 
to be the prize brig we had taken from the fleet. When 
possession was taken of her, the prizemaster and nearly 
the whole crew were found drunk. It appeared they 
did not make sail on the vessel during the night, and 
on being interrogated, the prizemaster was entirely 
ignorant of the position of the brig. Great exultation 
was now manifested by the officers of the frigate, and 
to use their own expression, they had now taken the 
"Paul Jones and his mate." 

In fifty hours the frigate was at an anchor in Ply- 
mouth harbour, and we were all put on board of a 
prison-ship, with the exception of the captain, first 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 227 

lieutenant and surgeon, who were entitled to parole. 
Here we found already three hundred and fifty Ameri- 
can prisoners, who were crammed away on the two 
decks of an old condemned seventy-four, fitted up for 
that purpose and strongly guarded. We remained in 
this ship four weeks, during which time the number of 
American prisoners was augmented to six hundred ; it 
became necessary, therefore, in view of this daily in- 
crease, to send the prisoners to depots allotted for that 
purpose. Accordingly several drafts were ordered to 
Stapleton, near Bristol, a distance of one hundred and 
thirty miles. It fell to my lot to be one of the number 
composing these drafts, and I was not a little pleased, 
for I considered that any prison would be preferable to 
the unwholesome air and close confinement of a ship, 
into which five hundred human souls were crammed. 

January 25, 1813. — The number of prisoners con- 
tained in each escort were one hundred, guarded by 
two hundred foot soldiers and fifty dragoons. Our 
march was severe, having to perform a distance of from 
fifteen to twenty- five miles per day. Many of the pri- 
soners broke down from fatigue,, consequently had to 
be transported in wagons. Seven days brought us to 
our journey's end, when we were put into a strong 
prison, with three thousand French prisoners. 

Our prospects now were indeed gloomy. As for my 
own part, I hact been buoyed up with the hope of being 
exchanged, which hope, however, was now at an end ; 
and I had nothing to cheer my spirits but the very 
pleasing prospect of a confinement during the remainder 
of the war, unless I could devise some plan to effect an 
escape; besides, I had been improvident with what 
money I had, sharing it with my fellow officers, so that 
all I had left out of my seventeen doubloons, when I 
entered this prison, was about forty dollars; this sum, 
at furthest, would not last over six months, especially as 
the allowance from the British government was so small 
and miserably bad, -that without other means of sub- 
sistence no man could exist. We received but one 



228 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

pound and a half of black bread per man, which when 
pressed together might be encompassed in a man's hand. 
This, with a half of a pound of raw fresh meat — the 
bones being always included in the weight — was the 
whole allowance for twenty-four hours. I have often 
weighed my allowance of meat after it was boiled, and 
it never went beyond three ounces. 

In three months after our entrance into this place, the 
American prisoners presented a sad spectacle of wretch- 
edness and misery. Naturally improvident, and at the 
same time restless, always planning schemes to effect 
their escape, they could not bring themselves to any 
species of labour; many of them, too, coming from the 
worst grades of society, with habits imbibed from those 
haunts of wretchedness, soon lost, by gambling, what 
little means they had. This was not all ; they sacri- 
ficed their clothing to this nefarious practice, and now 
pinched with cold, and half starved for want of food, 
and with no regular mode of exercise, disease began to 
make its appearance among them, in its very worst 
form. Many sickened and died, others became almost 
frantic with hunger, and that most abominable vice, 
theft, was perpetrated upon one another with impunity. 
I have actually seen one hundred or more of these half 
starved wretches scraping out from the piles of offal 
thrown from the prison, potatoe and turnip skins, and 
whatever they could find to masticate, to satisfy their 
raging hunger. Those who had money fared well, from 
the fact that the French prisoners were allowed a market, 
outside of the first wall, and as the whole of these men 
were industrious, and brought themselves systematically 
to some pursuit, they manufactured a variety of articles, 
such as lace, straw plait for bonnets, bone work of almost 
every description, instruments of music, and miniature 
ships, <fcc. (fee. which were bought up by the country 
people or exchanged for their produce. Indeed, these 
French prisoners had become so thoroughly reconciled 
to their situation, (some of them having been here six 
and eight years,) that their minds appeared to be wholly 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 229 

occupied with gain. I knew many of them who, when 
peace was effected between France and England, had 
saved from one to two thousand guineas, and there were 
some who did not actually wish to leave the prison. 

This depot for prisoners of war is situated in Staple- 
ton, a village about five miles north of Bristol. The coun- 
try around it is highly cultivated and presents one of 
the most beautiful scenes I ever witnessed. From the 
prisons may be seen the magnificent grounds and castle 
belonging to the duke of Devonshire. The buildings, 
three in number, are capable of containing fifteen hun- 
dred men each ; the ground on which they stand may, 
perhaps, cover an area .of a quarter of a mile. The' 
yard, in the form of a circle, is surrounded with a strong 
wall, say fourteen feet in height, on the top of which, at 
intervals, are cannons planted, and a sentinel stationed 
at each gun; outside of this wall, runs a ditch twenty 
feet broad. Sentinels are so posted around the yard, both 
day and night, that it is almost impossible to effect an 
escape from the prison. 

Three months had now elapsed since we came to this 
place, and our hopes of being exchanged were less pro- 
bable from the fact that Commodore Rogers had detain- 
ed a number of English prisoners in close confinement, 
as hostages for as many American prisoners whom the 
British held in bondage, declaring that they were En- 
glishmen; and of course such, when found fighting 
against their country, must suffer the penalty attached 
to the crime, which is death. This punishment, how- 
ever was never carried into execution, supposing, no 
doubt, the American government would have retaliated. 
From this time forward, there was no more exchange of 
prisoners until peace was concluded. 

As my funds were now getting short, it became abso- 
lutely necessary for me to turn my attention to some 
pursuit which would afford a subsistence ; accordingly 
I commenced to manufacture straw plait for ladies' bon- 
nets. Though riches could not flow in abundance 
through this channel-^with the most incessant toil, I 
20* 



230 ~ LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

could not earn more than one shilling per day — yet it 
was sufficient to keep me in coffee, bread, &c. as long 
as I remained in this place. 

The sufferings of the American prisoners, wherever 
they were confined in England, were equal if not 
greater than those at Stapleton ; and from this depot, as 
well as from others, petitions were frequently sent to 
our government, through the medium of Mr. Beasley, 
who was the agent for American prisoners in England. 
These petitions were drawn up in the most respectful 
manner, and set forth in strong terms the miserable 
and destitute condition of the American prisoners, the 
small quantity of daily food allowed by the British go- 
vernment, (in consequence of which scanty fare many 
had starved to death,) and speedy and immediate relief 
was urgently prayed for. On the reception of these 
petitions, our government lost no time in affording the 
relief required, by empowering the agent to distribute to 
each prisoner six shillings and eight pence, monthly. 
This supply was indeed seasonable to many of our poor 
fellow sufferers. Now the industrious and economical 
could subsist tolerably well ; but there were yet many 
among us who, no sooner than they received their 
monthly allowance, would resort to the gambling table 
and lose it all. Not many of this description lived to 
see the United States. 

When peace was effected between France and Eng- 
land, the French prisoners, of course, were liberated 
and sent to France ; and, as there were but four hundred 
American prisoners at this place — not being a sufficient 
number to employ a garrison — our destination was fixed 
for Dartmoor. This was a matter of joy to many of us, 
because we contemplated that an escape would not be 
difficult; but, on the other hand, this depot was infi- 
nitely preferable to Dartmoor. The prison buildings 
here were far superior to those at Dartmoor, as well as 
the country around them; the facilities of a market for 
the purchase of provisions, and for the sale of whatever 
articles we could manufacture, were likewise much 
greater here. 



CHAPTER XXI. 

REMOVAL TO DARTMOOR — DESCRIPTION OF IT — PLAN TO EFFECT 
AN ESCAPE. 

September 20, 1813. — The first draft, comprising one 
hundred men, strongly guarded, marched out for Dart- 
moor, a distance of one hundred and ten miles, and one 
draft weekly thereafter until the whole number were 
despatched. It fell to my lot to be in the last draft, and 
I resolved, if possible, to profit by this march in making 
an escape, at the first favourable opportunity. Accord- 
ingly, when we had reached a distance of about fifty 
miles, conceiving the place and time favourable, although 
I had marched twenty miles that day, 1 determined to 
put my plans in execution that night, having bribed a 
soldier who would be on guard at midnight. The few 
intervening hours were passed in the deepest suspense. 
At length the moment arrived when it was necessary 
that I should exert all the courage and fortitude of which 
I was capable. The gaining my liberty solely depended 
upon the good faith of this soldier, because I should 
have to pass three sentinels, and should he prove faith- 
less, by giving a false countersign, detection would be 
inevitable. 

The village clock struck the hour of midnight, and all 
was wrapt in profound silence. The prisoners, for the 
most part, were locked in deep sleep, and nothing was 
heard but the exchange of "all's well," by the sentinels, 
who guarded an old barn, into which the prisoners 
were crammed for the night's repose. Slowly and silently 
I passed along to the appointed place of meeting; judge 
of my surprise, when reaching it, to find that double 
sentinels had been stationed at the place selected to 



232 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

me'et the soldier before named ; he was not there. The 
countersign was given, and the answer to it was, "go 
back! or you are a dead man." All hopes of escape 
were now at an end ; the bribed soldier, no doubt, had 
treacherously given me the wrong countersign, and, as 
I supposed, informed the commanding officer of my in- 
tention. 

This most fatiguing and harrassing march was con- 
tinued for nine days, during which many of the prisoners 
broke down, and were so entirely disabled that' it became 
necessary to transport them in wagons. So unremitting 
was the vigilance kept over us during the remainder of 
the march — after my project of escape had failed — that 
every effort to get away on the part of the prisoners 
proved ineffectual. At length, however, we arrived at 
Dartmoor ; and I think I shall not overstep the bounds 
of truth, when I say, that a more miserable and wretch- 
ed spot could not have been selected in the island of 
Great Britain, to erect a depot for prisoners of war, than 
this same barren heath presented. In vain may the 
eye exert its powers of vision to seek for shrub or 
verdure, and in vain may the mind contemplate a scene 
more melancholy than to see six thousand intelligent 
beings, confined in a circumference of about one half of 
a mile, strongly fortified, and encircled by walls, ditches 
and palisades, with cannon so planted as to command 
every part of the enclosure. It was nevertheless a 
relief to enter even this place, bad as it was, where we 
might find rest for our wearied limbs and debilitated 
bodies. But if the location of Dartmoor inspires the 
mind with gloom at first sight, much more sensibly did 
I feel the horrors of confinement, when thrust into 
the interior. There were about six thousand American 
prisoners, who had been gathered from all the prisons 
and prison-ships in England, and with the exception 
of those Americans which had given themselves up 
from British men-of-war, and who at this time were in 
confinement at Portsmouth, comprised all the American 
prisoners now in England. These then for the most 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 233 

part were a perfect set of outlaws and desperadoes, 
having no doubt been selected from the most miserable 
haunts of vice in all the seaports within the United 
States. It must not be understood, however, that all 
came under this description of character, for there were 
some among the number, an honour to the profession 
of a seaman ; but then the loafers and rough-alleys 
greatly overbalanced the better disposed, so that the 
law that "might gives right," was forcibly illustrated, and 
the levelling system was put into effectual practice. If 
a man who had been an officer manifested a disposition 
to keep himself aloof from these miscreants, he was 
almost sure to be mobbed, and if he had kept a taut 
hand and good discipline on board of his vessel, on en- 
tering these prisons he was generally tied to the whip- 
ping-post and flogged. 

This state of things became so intolerable, that fre- 
quently the commandant sent in a file of soldiers to 
rescue the officers from their unmerciful treatment. 
These outrages continued until those men who had 
given themselves up from British men-of-war, were sent 
on to this place. They were generally a noble set of 
fellows, men of principle and true Americans, conse- 
quently friends to law and order, uniting with the 
minority, effectually crushed all acts of injustice and 
oppression. Competent men were now selected by the 
majority to frame a constitution and laws for the better 
regulation of the whole. Judges, &c. were appointed, 
and allegiance was sworn to the constitution and laws, 
by a large majority of the prisoners. After the adoption 
of these measures, whenever the laws were infringed or 
violated, the culprit or offender was punished according 
to the enormity of the crime committed. 

I was forcibly struck when first entering these prisons, 
with the miserable, squalid appearance of the prisoners. 
The clothes given them by their captors were mostly 
yellow-, designed purposely no doubt to designate them 
in case of escape. Emaciated from long confinement 
and scantiness of provision, many of them dirty and in 



234 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

tatters, they presented to my mind a set of unearthly 
objects, issuing from the recesses of pandemonium, 
rather than a living mass of human beings. The con- 
duct and pursuits of these men were so strikingly 
different from the French prisoners at Stapleton, that 
my mind not only sickened, but I really felt ashamed 
of my own countrymen. It must be conceded, how- 
ever, that they were continually planning schemes of 
escape ; consequently they were restless and uneasy, 
and instead of settling themselves down to any system 
of government, or adopting any plan or occupation, 
such as carrying on the various branches of mechanism, 
for instance; they idled their time away with cards, 
dice, roulette tables, &c. &c. Here and there, however, 
throughout the prisons, might be seen stands or shops, 
for the purpose of selling coffee and various kinds of 
eatables, and there were no small number of these 
stands for the sale of ardent spirits, &c. There were 
also a number of schools, and it might be said that this 
was almost the only reputable employment carried on 
among the prisoners. The monthly allowance, which 
had it been distributed with proper care and manage- 
ment, would have been highly beneficial ; but, as it was, 
to many it proved a curse instead of a blessing ; for im- 
mediately on receiving it, hundreds would resort to the 
gambling table, and in a few minutes would come off 
minus ; hundreds more would go to the rum shop, and 
their allowance would be quickly swept away. To me, 
the day of distribution was a day of terror, for the 
prisoners actually appeared more like a set of demons, 
let loose from the regions of darkness than reasonable 
men. Every where drunkenness, fighting and brawl - 
ings, might be seen throughout the prisons and prison 
yards, and I really dreaded when the period arrived for 
distribution, although I was at all times much in want 
of this small pittance ; indeed it became more necessary 
because no market privileges were allowed here as in 
Stapleton, and consequently little could be sold even if 
it were manufactured. This deprivation was a serious 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 235 

matter to many of the prisoners besides myself, as I 
found that the "six and eight pence," with the British 
allowance was by no means sufficient to procure a mode- 
rate subsistence. It became necessary, therefore, to have 
recourse to some means to make up the deficiency. 
The occupation on which I fixed my mind to pursue, 
was that of washing the prisoners' clothes at sixpence 
per dozen. Although this was not the most exalted 
profession in the world, yet it was an honest calling, 
and as I was enabled to earn one shilling per day, it 
was amply sufficient with the other means, to live as 
well as the prison could afford. 

I had not been long at this employment when I 
received a letter from an intimate friend, who had been 
in the counting-house with me before I embraced a sea 
life. He had heard of my unfortunate capture and 
subsequent confinement, and as he was connected with 
a mercantile house in London, he not only had the 
power, but exercised the willingness, to supply me with 
what little means I might stand in need of to render 
my situation comfortable ; and this was the purport of 
the letter received. It may be supposed that I lost no 
time in embracing this offer ; for although I had a suf- 
ficiency to eat and drink, yet I was nearly destitute of 
clothing, having either lost them, or had them stolen 
from me. From this friend I received a stated sum 
monthly, and was enabled thereby to procure some good 
clothing, besides a competency for subsistence with- 
out being compelled to labour. It may be necessary to 
give the reader some proof of the restless character so 
peculiar to the American prisoners, and in order to do 
this, I shall here give a minute description of the situa- 
tion of the prisons. 

They were seven in number, built on the slope or 
rather at the foot of a hill. They were surrounded by 
two strong walls, twelve feet high, and about thirty feet 
apart; between these walls was a ditch, twenty feet 
wide. The walls as well as the prison yard were 
strongly guarded. Under each of the prisons was a 



236 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

drain, cut about three feet in width, and about the same 
in depth. Water from the adjacent hills constantly ran 
through these drains, and served the various purposes 
of carrying off the filth and offal, cleansing the prisons, 
washing clothes, cooking, &c. When it rained, which 
was not unfrequent, the water ran through these drains 
with great rapidity. I mention this trifling circum- 
stance, to show that in the following account, this 
small affair was of material advantage to the prisoners. 
And now for the proof of the restlessness of their 
character 

As all hopes of exchange had long since been given 
up, the prisoners unanimously agreed to form some 
plan, for the purpose of effecting a general escape ; it 
was therefore decided to dig a subterranean passage, 
with a perpendicular hole inside of one of the buildings. 
The distance from the prison, in which the hole was to 
be dug to the outside wall, was one hundred and ten 
feet. The plan was to dig twenty feet perpendicularly, 
and then run the parallel passage sufficiently wide to let 
two men pass abreast. This plan being matured, the pri- 
soners bound themselves under a most solem oath not to 
reveal the scheme, the forfeiture of which was death. 
The work was to be done in the night time, as there was 
less danger of detection, the "turnkeys", &c. being then 
asleep, no other watch was kept but by the sentries 
on guard, as the prisoners were all locked up in the 
prisons. One or two almost insurmountable difficulties, 
now presented themselves, viz. what could be done 
with the vast amount of rubbish which must necessari- 
ly be dug from this cavern, so as to elude the vigilance 
of the guards and turnkeys who inspected the prisons 
every morning. To put it into our chests and bags would 
not do, neither would it be practicable to throw it down 
the common sewers, on account of the large quantity. 
The only safe plan, therefore, was to take advantage of 
the heavy rains, and to throw it into 4he drains before 
mentioned. The water flowed at these periods with 
such velocity, that it would force it all off into the outer 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 237 

ditch. The work was now commenced and soon the 
perpendicular hole was finished. The parallel passage- 
was begun, when another very serious and unforeseen 
difficulty presented itself; the immense pressure of con- 
fined air within the subterranean vault, was so great, 
that with all our efforts to restore a natural circula- 
tion, we were unable to work more than thirty minutes 
at a time ; and as we advanced in distance, the pressure 
became greater, until it was absolutely necessary for our 
safety, that air holes should be opened to the surface. 
This was a work of extreme hazard, because sentinels 
were posted, about thirty feet from each other, all around 
the prison yard. Detection, therefore, would seem to be 
inevitable ; the risk, however, must be attempted or the 
project abandoned. The first air hole was commenced 
about twelve feet from the commencement of the pas- 
sage, and extended to the surface without discovery. 
This mine was an immense undertaking, in view of 
all the difficulties which surrounded it, viz. the vigilance 
of the guards, turnkeys, &c. the apprehended treachery 
of the prisoners, (for it could not be supposed that, out 
of so many, all would prove true,) the great difficulty of 
concealing the dirt, and another of no less magnitude, 
which was the frequency of encountering huge rocks 
that obliged us to diverge from the straight line, thus 
increasing the work and lengthening the time of our 
escape. Forty nights, two hours in each, I recollect to 
have exerted all my physical powers at this work, elated 
almost beyond measure with the prospect of success, 
(for, as yet, all had been kept a profound secret from the 
enemy,) and as .we had penetrated in our passage as 
far as the 'inner wall, and reasonably calculated that, 
unless we were detected, or that some of our own men 
should prove faithless, we should effect our object. 
Alas ! how little then did we expect that these buoyant 
hopes were so soon to be frustrated, and that, too, by 
one who was among the most persevering in the labour, 
and perhaps the most ardent in his feelings when this 
plan was first projected. Often did I work by his side, 
21 



238 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

and often did we converse as to the mode of operation 
after we should have gotten clear from the prison. This 
man was a native American, of respectable connections, 
who, after he had sworn the most solemn oath not to 
divulge our plans, basely betrayed us by informing the 
captain of the prisons of all our operations, the distance 
we had penetrated, and, in a word, given the particulars 
of every thing in reference to the mine and the con- 
templated manner of our escape. For this most base 
and treacherous act, he obtained his release and a pass- 
port to proceed to the United States. 

The first intimation we received of detection, was 
being driven into the prison early in the forenoon, 
and locked up; then a regiment of a thousand men 
were marched into the yard, and formed a hollow square 
fronting on the line of excavation. The colonel of the 
regiment, with a small guard, entered the prison and 
descended the perpendicular hole, passed into the pas- 
sage and, after examining with great care and minute- 
ness the entire work, he ascended, and publicly conferred 
a tribute of praise to men, "who, under so many dis- 
couraging circumstances, not only managed to keep this 
gigantic work a profound secret, but who, by their 
unremitting perseverance, had carried on the work 
nearly to its completion." He declared, at the same 
time, that such men were worthy of their liberty. The 
work of destruction was commenced by the miners con- 
nected with the regiment. And after labouring two 
hours they came to the parallel passage ; after which 
filling up the remaining part was an easy matter, for 
the ground fell in without any difficulty. At four 
o'clock the whole passage was rilled up, and our long 
cherished hopes of escape, were entirely frustrated. A 
solemn compact was entered into, by many of the 
prisoners, that, in the event of falling in with the base 
informer in after life, they would take his life. 

Shortland, the commandant of the prison, and who, 
it was said, was a broken down post captain, stood 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 239 

notorious for his many acts of tyranny; and, it was 
also currently reported that the Admiralty had, by way 
of ridding the service of so much inhuman barbarity, 
placed him here as jailor to those confined w r ithin the 
enclosures of this celebrated depot. 

After the discovery of this affair, this humane gentle- 
man restricted every privilege that we had previously en- 
joyed, such as forbidding the entrance and sale of fresh 
provisions, vegetables, &c. as also by closely confining 
the prisoners, and sometimes by stopping their customary 
allowance. This treatment was continued at intervals, 
as spleen suggested to his choleric disposition, during 
the whole period of our confinement; notwithstanding 
repeated remonstrances were made to the American 
agent, in reference to the conduct of Shortland, no re- 
dress could be obtained. 

At length the long looked for news of the probability 
of peace reached our desponding hearts ; but when, 
information was received that commissioners were ap- 
pointed by the contending parties to negociate a treaty 
of peace at Ghent, and that the commissioners were ac- 
tually on the spot, the loudest and most extravagant 
demonstrations of joy were exhibited throughout the 
prisons. But on the reception of the news, that the 
treaty of peace had actually been signed by both parties, 
the effect upon the prisoners was beyond all description. 
The truth of it could hardly be realized. Some danced 
while others sung, some laughed and others wept for 
joy; many resorted to the intoxicating bowl and affirm- 
ed that they would get royally drunk ; this pledge was 
kept to the very letter; the shops or places where liquor, 
coffee, &c. had been sold, were broken down, and, for a 
short time, like as in the days of old, all things were 
partaken of in common, as they expected an immediate 
release. But they were disappointed in this, for the 
confinement was as close, and the treatment equally as 
bad, as it had been before the news of peace arrived; 
and in consequence of the delay of providing cartels by 
our agent, the confinement of the prisoners was prolong- 



240 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

ed months. This was mainly the cause of the unfortu- 
nate riot and the subsequent massacre of the prisoners, 
by the command of the commandant Shortland. For my 
own part, I was in some degree prepared for the news 
of peace, by the correspondence held with my friend in 
London ; and yet, when it actually did come, such were 
my feelings, vacillating between hope and fear, truth 
.and fiction, that it was some time before I brought my- 
self to the positive conclusion that it was really true. 
In a few days, however, all doubts on this subject were 
entirely dissipated, as I received a letter from my friend, 
which informed me that he had obtained my release 
from the Transport Board, and that an order had been 
sent from that Board to release two of us immediately. 
In this letter was enclosed a five pound bank note, to 
defray our expenses to London, also giving his address, 
I lost no time in gejjjjig all my traps in readiness for 
departure 

The next morning M. and myself were called out, 
and passports were given to each of us by Shortland, 
and a couple of soldiers taking up' our trunks, the turn- 
key conducted us outside of the prison walls. We had 
previously ordered a post chaise, into which we both 
jumped, and drove off at a rapid rate for Ashburton, and 
I believe neither of us gave one long, lingering look 
behind, at Dartmoor prison. Ashburton is about twelve 
miles east of Dartmoor, a small village, the allotted 
location of prisoners on parole. Through this town lies 
the direct route to London. Here then we arrived in 
about an hour and a half, paid off our postillion with 
half a guinea, and remained during the night, and the 
next morning took seats on the top of the mail-coach 
for London. 

The mail-coach driving at a rapid rate, we were of 
course, very soon at our journey's end, and had but 
little opportunity to make observations on the highly 
cultivated grounds and beautiful scenery through which 
we passed. We were now in the midst of the largest 
metropolis in the world; two strangers, just emerged 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 241 

from a prison-house, and although I had frequently been 
in large cities, yet every thing appeared to be perfectly 
novel, and I thought myself to be as absolutely green 
as if I had never seen anything in my life. This was 
also noticed by more than myself; one chap, drawing 
up alongside, and patting my cheeks, very significantly 
said, "bang up, Johnny Raw, who made your coachee?" 
To which I replied in the most polite and agreeable 
manner possible to my then state of feelings, by letting 
him have a rejoinder under the left ear. This off hand 
reply took with the bystanders, for I heard some of them 
say, "he's the clean stuff, anyhow." But we were not yet 
rid of their tricks, for on calling a hack, and giving the 
driver the address of our friend, we both jumped iiho 
the coach, and I suppose he must have driven us at 
least six or seven miles round and about the city ; at 
length he stopped at the residence of our friend, at which 
place there was a lady waiting to receive us, as Mr. B. 
had gone out. The coachman demanded, for his fee, 
half a guinea; the lady inquired at what place he had 
taken us up ; after I had informed her, she presented 
him with a shilling, which he very meekly received, 
and drove off. 

From this lady we received the kindest treatment ; 
she expressed great sympathy when the relation of our 
confinement was made to her, and during our stay at 
her house she endeavoured, by every act of kindness 
and attention, to atone, as she said, for the injustice of 
her countrymen, in imprisoning men, who, in all re- 
spects, she affirmed, were equal to Englishmen. This 
was a great compliment ; but when I learned that she 
was born and educated at the west end of London, and 
never had sufficient curiosity, (although she was then 
thirty- four years of age,) to visit the eastern part of the 
city — I say, when I heard this from her own lips, I was 
not at all astonished at the compliment she bestowed 
upon us. 

My friend soon arrived, by whom we were most 
cordially received ; we ate and drank at his table, and 
21* 



242 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

slept soundly in his well furnished rooms. After I had 
given him a distinct narration of nearly all the scenes 
and circumstances which had befallen me since our 
separation, we repaired to a "ready made clothing 
store, " where in a few minutes I was completely meta- 
morphosed — my prison garb giving place to the cos- 
tume of a London cockney. My friend informed us 
that he had procured situations on board of an American 
ship, which had been laying up in Russia during the 
whole of the war, but had come to London immediately 
on the news of peace; and that she was now actively 
loading in dock for the United States, and expected to 
sail in ten days. In a week, therefore, said he, it is 
necessary you should repair on board ; during which 
time he continued, I will endeavour to show you all 
that is worth seeing in London. He was as good as his 
word, for every hour was employed apart from our 
meals, in visiting the almost numberless places and 
scenes which are calculated to astonish and delight the 
stranger and traveller. 

Our week expiring we bade adieu to our kind hostess 
and family, and having exchanged our long clothes for 
a complete sailor's rig, we jumped into a hackney with 
Mr. B. drove to the London docks, went immediately 
on board of the American ship Boston, and were intro- 
duced by Mr. B. to Captain Pinley, as the two young 
men whom he had engaged to work their passage to the 
United States in his ship. The captain received us 
rather cavalierly, said he was glad that we had come 
on board, for he was short of hands to get in the cargo. 
He was a very queer looking chap, and although 
dressed at the tip-top of the London fashion, yet his 
clothes did not set on him with a good grace, having 
so much of the sailor about him. After hearing a tew 
very un genteel epithets bestowed upon the mate, I was 
inclined to believe that our situation on board would 
not be the most agreeable. In the end, however, I was 
deceived, for he was a good sailor, and though rough in 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 243 

the exterior, yet he used every man well that performed 
his duty according to contract. In a few days the mate 
was discharged, not being competent to fulfil the duties 
of his office, the berth was given to me, and I never 
had any reason to repent of having accepted it. In a 
few days the ship was loaded, and ready for sea. 

We hauled out of dock, and I exchanged the parting 
adieu with my worthy friend Mr. B. The wind being 
fair we soon got out of the river and down to the north 
foreland, where we discharged the pilot, made all sail 
with a fine wind from the eastward, and stood down 
the English channel. Thus after suffering two years 
in an English prison, besides the consequent perils and 
dangers incident to a state of warfare, I was once more 
on my favourite element, in a merchant ship, homeward 
bound, after an absence of nearly two years and a hal£ 
It was a matter of some consolation, that amid the varied 
scenes and circumstances through which I had passed ; 
my life and health had been preserved, and I trust that 
my moral character had not deteriorated, and that the 
experience which I had gained from the vicissitudes 
of fortune would have a salutary effect on my future 
course of life. Soon after discharging the pilot, I was 
informed by Captain F. that it was positively certain 
that we should be the second ship, if not the first, to 
arrive in the United States after peace ; he having 
learned that it would be ten days before any other 
vessel would sail from England. Consequently it was 
necessary to improve every opportunity and carry hard 
sail, to use his own expression, and this was done to 
perfection, for although we had an exceedingly boister- 
ous passage, with many heavy and severe gales, yet 
the ship was never hove to ; and on the 38th day after 
discharging the English pilot, we had a Chesapeake 
pilot on board, Cape Henry bearing west-north-west, 
twenty miles distant. Prom the pilot we learned that 
our ship was the second arrival from England since 
peace ; and that we were anxiously looked for by the 
merchants in Baltimore. Passing Cape Henry light, 



244 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

and entering the Chesapeake Bay with a fine leading 
breeze, and every sail spread, we stood up the bay and 
arrived at the port of Baltimore, after a passage of forty 
days. 



CHAPTER XXII. 

LOSS OF PRIZE MONEY VOYAGE TO LONDON— NARROW ESCAPE 

FROM SHIPWRECK,, &C. &C. 

I remained in the ship Boston until her cargo was 
discharged, and then proceeded in her to Alexandria, 
the port from which she hailed and to which she 
belonged, Captain Finley being the owner. Although 
pressed by Captain F. to remain in the ship, yet there 
were two prominent reasons which made it absolutely 
necessary that I should decline his offer. The first 
was to look after my prize money and property, and 
the second was, I did not like the employment. We 
separated good friends, and I proceeded immediately to 
Baltimore, and from thence to New York, the port to 
which the Paul Jones privateer belonged, and where of 
course the agent fof the crew resided. Previously to 
my arriving at this place, I had ascertained that three 
of the most valuable prizes captured by the Paul Jones 
had arrived in safety in the United States, and that the 
vessels and cargoes had been sold by the agent to great 
advantage. This was cheering news, because I was at 
this time nearly penniless, and I knew that my share of 
the prize money would amount to between nine and 
ten thousand dollars. Judge of my feelings, when, 
after the strictest inquiry, I learned that the agent had 
managed to get hold of all of this vast amount of pro- 
perty, and then by fraudulently conveying it over to 
other hands, had failed and taken the benefit of the 
insolvent law. Thus by this most dishonest act, he 
cheated one hundred or more poor fellows out of their 
hard earnings — men too, who had risked their lives, 
and suffered for two years, all the hardships of confine- 



246 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

ment in an English prison. Having ascertained that it 
would be useless to institute a suit against this agent, 
I gave up all hopes of recovering any portion of my 
dues. As there was another source from which I 
fully expected to*receive funds, viz. the schooner which 
was left at New Orleans at the commencement of the 
war, I immediately wrote on to those gentlemen whom 
I had empowered to act in my absence. The answer 
to this letter imparted to me the unpleasant intel- 
ligence, that I was again doomed to be the victim of 
disappointment and the dupe of knaves. They had 
employed the vessel to considerable advantage, after 
which she was sold, and the proceeds received by them 
for my account, so that they had actually made money 
upon my capital, and defrauded me out of the whole. 
There was yet remaining one more resource, viz. that 
which was placed in the hands of Mr. G. of Norfolk. 
This sum, say three hundred dollars, on my making 
application for, was remitted forthwith, principal and 
interest, together with a trunk of wearing apparel. By 
the foregoing it will be seen, that without these funds, 
(and they were earned prior to the commencement of 
the war,) I should have been penniless, notwithstand- 
ing two and a half years had passed away, sometimes 
with hard fighting and many hair-breadth escapes, with 
untold hardships, besides a long and most painful con- 
finement in an English prison. 

My intentions now were first to visit my friends at 
the north, but as I had heard of the death of my father 
and of the marriage of my sister, I concluded to return 
to Baltimore, having settled in my mind to make this 
city a location for future operations. From this place 
then, T entered on my first voyage after peace. My 
determination in this respect was the more settled, after I 
had become acquainted with the peculiar constitutional 
make of the southern people. I found them in all 
respects, to be of a different temperament from those of 
the north ; they were evidently more social, and their 
hospitality abounded almost to excess, especially towards 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 247 

strangers; and as I was myself naturally of a sanguine 
character, these people I found were congenial to my 
views and feelings, consequently, I resolved to reside 
among them. 

As before stated I joined the ship C , Captain G. 

bound for London, as second officer. It was not long 
before she was ready for sea, and I had made the neces- 
sary preparations for another voyage. 

December 20, 1815. — After bidding adieu to the family 
in which 1 resided, and with whom I was on the most 
intimate terms of friendship, we cast off from the wharf 
and stood down the river with a strong breeze from the 
north-west. 22d, at 7 a. m. discharged the pilot and 
went to sea with a north-west gale. This ship had 
been originally a French Guineaman, captured by the 
English, and was afterwards taken by the Americans 
during the war. She was an old ship, consequently 
weak, and in addition she had been risen upon, and 
having now three decks, of course much of the weight 
of her cargo was carried above the water. She was 
therefore very crank and very leaky. The captain was 
an old man and an experienced sailor. The chief mate, 
his nephew, had served his time with him, a young 2 
active and bold seaman ; the foremast-men, twelve in 
number, were all able seamen ; nevertheless we had as 
much as we could attend to during the passage, which 
although short, yet it was the most boisterous and 
severe of any that I had yet experienced. Fortunately 
the wind was fair all the way, and we never showed 
anything higher than double reefed-topsails, and it 
required the labour of a watch at the pumps to keep her 
free. In fourteen days and six hours from the time we 
cast off from the wharf, we were to an anchor in Fal- 
mouth, England. We just arrived in time to escape a 
long easterly gale. 

January 15, 1816. — Received orders this day to pro- 
ceed to London with the ship, and as the easterly gale 
abated and the wind hauled round southward and 
westward, we got under way, stood out of Falmouth 



248 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

harbour, and proceeded up the British Channel. At 
sunset it commenced to rain, and the weather was 
thick and cloudy. The different lights were seen as 
far as the Bill of Portland. At midnight lost sight of 
the land, and it blew a gale from off the French coast ; 
close reefed the topsails and steered a course so as to 
keep in mid-channel. At day break the ship was 
judged to be off Beachy Head ; the weather being so 
thick the land could not be seen. The fore and mizzen- 
topsails were now furled and the ship hove to. The 
rain began now to fall in torrents, and the heavy dense, 
black clouds rose with fearful rapidity from the north- 
ward over the English coast, when suddenly the wind 
shifted from the south-west to north and blew a hur- 
ricane. The mist and fog cleared away, and to our 
utter astonishment we found ourselves on a lee shore 
on the coast of France, off Bologne heights. The gale 
was so violent that no more sail could be made. The 
ship was so exceedingly crank, that when she luffed up 
on a wind, her bulwarks were under water. As she 
would not stay, the only alternative was, to wear ; 
of course with this evolution we lost ground, and con- 
sequently were driven nearer every moment towards the 
awful strand of rocks. The scene was now terrific, 
many vessels were in sight, two of which we saw 
dashed on the rocks ; with the tremendous roar of the 
breakers, and the howling of the tempest, and the 
heavy sea which broke as high as the fore-yard, death 
appeared inevitable. There was only one hope left, and 
that was, that should the tide change and take us under 
our lee-beam, it might possibly set us off on the nine 
fathom bank, which is situated at a distance of twelve 
miles north-north-west off Bologne harbour. In the 
event of reaching this bank, the safety of the ship, and 
lives of the crew depended, as it was determined there 
to try the anchors, for there was no possibility of keep- 
ing off shore more than two hours if the gale continued. 
We were now on the larboard tack, and for the last 
half hour it was perceived that the tide had turned, and 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 249 

was setting to the northward; this was our last and 
only chance, for the rocks were not more than half a 
mile under our lee, and as it was necessary to get the 
ship's head round on the starboard tack, which could 
only be done by wearing, it was certain that much 
ground would be lost by that evolution. The anchors 
were got ready, long ranges of the cables were hauled 
on deck and the ends were clinched to the mainmast 
below ; this being done, the axes were at hand to cut 
away the masts. 

I have before remarked that Captain G. was an old, 
experienced seaman, and I never saw before or since 
more coolness, judgment, and seamanship than was dis- 
played by him on this trying occasion. In this perilous 
trial the most intense anxiety was manifested by the 
crew, and then was heard the deep-toned voice of Cap- 
tain G. rising above the bellowing storm, commanding 
silence. "Take the wheel," said he to me, and then 
followed the orders in quick succession : "lay aft, and 
man the braces — see every thing clear forward to wear 
ship— steady — ease her — shiver away the main-top- 
sail — put your helm up — haul in the weather fore-braces, 
and gather in the after yards." The ship Avas now 
running before the wind for a few moments directly for 
the rocks — the situation and scene was truly awful, for 
she was not more than three hundred yards from the 
breakers. I turned my head aside — being at the helm — 
to avoid the terrific sight, and silently awaited the crisis. 
I was roused at this moment by Capt. G. who shouted, 
"she luffs, my boys ! brace the main-yard sharp up — 
haul in the larboard fore-braces — down with the fore- 
tack, lads, and haul aft the sheet; — right the helm! 
steady, so — haul taut the weather-braces, and belay all." 
These orders were given and executed in quick succes- 
sion. The ship was now on the starboard-tack, plung- 
ing bows under at every pitch. Casting a fitful glance 
ov©r my shoulder, I saw that we were apparently to lee- 
ward of the rocks. Very soon, however, it was quite 
perceptible that the tide had taken her on the lee beam, 
and was setting her off shore. 
22 



250 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

The gloom began now to wear away although it was 
doubtful whether we should be able to reach the bank, 
and if successful whether the anchors would hold on. 
Orders were given to lay aloft and send down the top- 
gallant-yards, masts, &c. The helm was relieved, and 
I sprung into the main rigging, the chief-mate going up 
forward. With much difficulty I reached the main- 
topmast cross-trees, and when there, it was almost im- 
possible to work, for the ship lay over at an angle of at 
least forty-five degrees, and I found myself swinging 
not perpendicularly over the ship's deck, but at least 
thirty feet from it. It was no time, however, for gazing. 
The yard rope was stoppered out on the quarter of the 
yard, the sheets, clewlines and buntlines cast off, and 
the lift slackened, and then simultaneously from both 
mast-heads the cry was heard, "sway away!" The 
parrel cut, the yard was quickly topped and unrigged, and 
then lowered away on deck. The next duty to per- 
form was sending down the top-gallantmasts. After 
much difficulty and hard work this was also accom- 
plished, and although I felt some pride in the perfor- 
mance of a dangerous service, yet on this occasion, I was 
not a little pleased when I reached the deck in safety. 

By this time we had gained four miles off shore, and 
it was evident that the soundings indicated our ap- 
proach to the bank. Tackles were rove and stretched 
along forward of the windlass, as well as deck stoppers 
hooked on to the ringbolts fore and aft. "Loose the 
fore-topsail !" shouted Capt. G. "We must reach this 
bank before the tide turns or by morning there will not 
be left a timber head of this ship, nor one of us, to tell 
the sad tale of our disaster." The topsail was loosed 
and set, and the ship groaned heavily under the im- 
mense pressure of canvas ; her lee rail was under 
water, an'd every moment it was expected that the top- 
mast or the canvas would yield. The deep sea-lead 
was taken forward and hove ; when the line reached 
the after part, of the main channels, the seaman's voice 
rose high in the air, "by the deep nine !" It was three 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 251 

o'clock. "Clew up and furl the fore-topsail!" shouted 
Oapt. G. The topsail furled of itself, for the moment 
the weather sheet was started, it blew away from the 
bolt-rope ; the foresail was immediately hauled up and 
furled. Relieved from the great pressure of canvas, and 
having now nothing on her except the main-topsail and 
fore- topmast-staysail, she rode more upright. The main- 
topsail was clewed up and fortunately saved, the mizzen- 
staysaii was set. "Stand by to cut away the stoppers 
of the best bower anchor — to let it go stock and fluke," 
said Capt. G. "Man the fore-topmast-staysail down- 
haul ; put your helm down ! haul down the staysail." 
This was done and the ship came up handsomely, head 
to wind. '"See the cable tiers all clear — what water is 
there?" said Capt. G. The leadsman sung out in a 
clear voice, "and a half eight!" By this time the ship 
had lost her way. "Are you all clear forward there ?" 
"Aye, aye ! sir," was the reply. "Stream the buoy and 
let go the anchor!" shouted Capt. G. The order was 
executed as rapidly as it was given ; the anchor was on 
the bottom and all ready had fifty fathoms of cable run 
out, making the windlass smoke ; and although the 
cable was weather bitted and every effort was made 
with the deck stoppers and tackles to check her, all was 
fruitless. Ninety fathoms of cable had run out. "Stand 
by to let go the larboard anchor," said Captain G. 
"Cheerily men, let go !" In the same breath he shouted 
"hold on !" for just then there was a Lull, and having 
run out the best bower cable, nearly to the better end, 
she brought up. No time was now lost in getting ser- 
vice on the cable to prevent its chafing. She was now 
riding to a single anchor of two thousand weight, with 
one hundred fathoms of a seventeen inch hemp cable. 
The sea rolled heavily and broke in upon the deck fore 
and aft, the lower yards were got down, the topsail- 
yards pointed to the wind, and as the tide had now 
turned, the ship rode without any strain on her cable 
because it tended broad on the beam. 

The next morning presented a dismal scene, for there 



252 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

were more than fifty sail in shore of us, some of whom 
succeeded in reaching the bank and anchored with loss 
of sails, topmasts, &c. Many others were dashed upon 
the rocks and not a soul was left to tell the tale of their 
destruction. I shall not forget that on the second day 
when a Dutch galliot was driven in to leeward of us ;^ 
and although by carrying on a tremendous press of can- 
vas she succeeded in keeping off shore until 5 p. m. yet 
at sunset she disappeared and was seen no more. After 
our arrival in London we learned that this unfortunate 
vessel was driven on the rocks and every soul on board 
perished. 

The gale continued four days, at the expiration of 
which, time it broke. At midnight the wind hauled 
round to the eastward, and the weather became so 
excessively cold, that although we commenced heaving 
in the cable at 5 a. m. yet we did not get the anchor 
until 9 that night. Close reefed topsails were set on 
the ship, and we stood over to the English coast, and 
anchored to the westward of Dunginess. During the 
whole period of this gale, which lasted four days, Capt 
G. never for one moment left the deck, and although 
well advanced in years, yet his iron constitution enabled 
him to overcome the calls of nature for rest ; and not- 
withstanding, the situation of the ship was perhaps 
more critical, than many of those less fortunate vessels 
which stranded upon the rocks, yet his coolness and the 
seaman-like manner with which the ship was handled, 
no doubt were the means of our being saved. 

January 22. — The next morning we took a pilot on 
board, but the wind continuing to blow fresh from the 
eastward, and Dunginess making a good lee, with the 
wind at that point, we did not get under way until 
January 27th, and then experienced fresh gales and 
head winds, which prevented our reaching Gravesend 
until the 31st ; where we exchanged the Dover pilot 
for one belonging to the river, who understood his 
business, and who took the ship up the river into the 
London dock in handsome style, on the 3d day of Feb- 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 253 

ruary. Thus it will be perceived that we were four and 
a half days longer from Falmouth to London, a distance 
not exceeding two hundred miles, than from Baltimore 
to Falmouth, a distance of three thousand miles. 

The cargo was discharged with all possible despatch, 
and as the ship leaked badly, she was taken into dry 
dock, and on her bottom being overhauled, some leaks 
were discovered and stopped ; after which she was 
hauled into the London dock and entered for loading. 
In this dock we remained for more than two months, a 
space of time which passed more heavily and . tediously 
than any I had ever experienced, by reason of the strict 
regulations ; viz. the dock-gates were locked at 4 o'clock, 
all fires were then extinguished, and no fire was per- 
mitted until daylight the next morning. Of course at 
this season of the year the days were short, it being 
dark at 5 o'clock, so that there was about fourteen hours 
in every twenty-four without fire, in those long, dreary, 
cold nights ; and there was no possible way of evading 
the vigilance of those who kept watch. I embraced the 
opportunity frequently to visit my kind hostess, who 
entertained me so hospitably when 1 came to this place 
from Dartmoor prison. Many cheerful hours were spent 
in the society of this hospitable family. They frequently 
pressed me to make their house my home during my 
stay in London, which offer was cordially accepted as 
far as was practicable apart from the duties of the ship. 



22* 



CHAPTER XXIII. 

PASSAGE FROM LONDON TO BALTIMORE — VOYAGE TO OPORTO AND 
ST. UBES DISASTER ON OPORTO BAR, &C. 

April 10. — We had now completed taking in our 
cargo, and every thing being ready for sea, we hauled 
out of dock on the morning of the 11th, and stood down 
the river with a fair wind. The river pilot was ex- 
changed at Gravesend for a Dover pilot, after which we 
had light baffling winds, and did not reach the south 
foreland until the 14th, when the pilot was discharged, 
sail was made, and we stood down the channel with a 
light easterly wind. Not long after getting into sea- 
way, the ship leaked as badly as ever, so that after 
passing the Scilly Isles, fears were entertained that we 
should have to put back, as it required one pump to be 
kept going continually, and in heavy weather both were 
necessary to keep her free. Fortunately, however, we 
had but few gales, and as we took the wind to the 
northward after leaving the channel, we fell into the 
middle latitude, from which it was almost impossible to 
get either to the northward or southward. In this lati- 
tude we had a long, course of light southerly winds, 
veering freqently to the westward, and during the whole 
course of our long passage, which was ninety days, we 
had but one gale, and the remainder was a constant 
succession of light westerly winds with but few excep- 
tions. 

We arrived in the Chesapeake Bay, July 7th, after a 
most tedious and unpleasant passage of eighty-seven 
days, short of provisions and water, with a leaky ship 
and discontent and discord prevailing among the crew. 
This state of insubordination rendered the situation of 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 255 

the officers exceedingly unpleasant, as the duties of the 
ship must be enforced at all hazards, consequently- 
frequent conflicts with the sailors were not unusual, 
and when chastisement had not the desired effect, we 
found the surest method to bring them to their senses 
was to stop the provisions ; this generally succeeded- 
It was a matter of great satisfaction to me when we 
arrived in Baltimore on the 10th, after a passage of 
ninety days from London. 

I took up my residence in the family of Mrs. J. where 
I received every mark of kindness and attention, and 
for whom I formed a strong attachment, and had reason 
to believe it was reciprocated by them. This family 
consisted of Mrs. J. four daughters and two sons. The 
two elder daughters were probably at this time about 
fifteen and seventeen years of age, and were what are gen- 
erally called handsome brunettes, pleasing in their man- 
ners, possessing all that good humor and vivacity which 
distinguishes them from the frigid austerity peculiar to 
the northern ladies. Through their influence and in- 
troduction, I soon formed an extensive acquaintance, 
by which my time not only passed off agreeably, but 
flew as it were on golden wings ; and associations were 
now formed that fixed the destinies of my after life. 
Mrs. J. was a widow of about forty-five years of age ; the 
morning of her life had been peculiarly marked with 
the sunshine of prosperity ; but the evening of her days 
and widowhood were shrouded in the gloom of adver- 
sity ; reverses had taken place, and by one or two 
mysterious acts of providence, she was not only depriv- 
ed of nearly all her substance, but also of the partner of 
her joys and sorrows. She bore these adverse provi- 
dences with becoming christian fortitude, for she feared 
God, and notwithstanding all these blighting discourage- 
ments she did not give way to despondency or despair; 
but feeling a just sense of obligation to her children, 
she toiled day and night for their welfare. Providence 
accompanying those efforts with its blessing, enabled her 
to rear her children in great respectability. When I first 



256 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

became acquainted in this family, and learned the cir- 
cumstances which have been related, it was not strange, 
especially as my temperament was of a sanguine cast, 
that I should take a deep interest in their welfare ; and 
whether I was worthy or unworthy of their faith, yet 
great confidence was reposed in me by them ; and I 
began to suspect that the strong attachment I had for 
them might possibly eventuate in something nearer 
than mere friendship. I was the more confirmed in this, 
by having as it were insensibly bestowed some mark- 
ed civilities and attentions to the eldest daughter, who 
at that time had more than one admirer. Thus then 
stood the situation of affairs when application was made 
to me to go as mate of the ship W. P. Captain S. bound 
for Oporto, S.t. Ubes, and back to the United States. As 
1 had been on shore nearly two months and a half, and 
the wages and employ were good, I accepted the offer, 
and immediately went on board and took in a cargo, 
which consisted of corn in bulk. In about a fortnight 
the ship was ready for sea. 

The day appointed for sailing had arrived and all 
hands were on board, and after I had bidden adieu to 
the interesting family with whom I lived, and for whom 
I had the strongest attachment, next to my own mother 
and sisters, the ship was cast off from the wharf, and in 
a few minutes we were under a press of canvas, stand- 
ing down the river with a light westerly wind. My 
feelings at this time were peculiar, and such as I had 
never experienced before when leaving my native land. 
Certainly when I left Boston on my first voyage, such 
was the difference in my condition from a clerk in a 
counting-house to a common Jack before the mast, that 
I could not help feeling some regret at the change ; 
especially as the tall spires of the city receded in the 
distance ; but then the change was of my own seeking, 
consequently, ambition came to my relief, and soon 
those feelings gave place to the exciting scenes induced 
by the novelty of the ship's duty. The case, however, 
now was entirely different. I had been eight years 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 257 

following a sea life, and my relatives were far distant^ 
What bonrLwis; jt 4bs£ h»{[. inseE&Jbly^atriered around 
my feelings and caused so much regret, and as I then 
thought unwillingness to depart? Surely, thought I, a 
new era must have sprung up in my existence ; and 
although at first I was unwilling to believe that any 
serious attachment had been formed for any member of 
the family of Mrs. J. yet conviction flashed over my 
mind with all the force of truth, and in revolving over 
in my mind how these new feelings would terminate, 
I was aroused from my reverie by an order from the 
pilot, to set the topmast and top-gallant-studdingsails. 

The ship was deeply laden and moved heavily through 
the water, but we had a fair wind and reached Cape 
Henry in two days, where we discharged the pilot, and 
on the 28th September, 1816, took our departure from 
Cape Henry, at 4 p. m. bearing north-west, distant four 
leagues. As usual when leaving the land the watches 
were chosen, and as the manner of it has already been 
detailed I shall enter into no farther particulars. After 
the watches had been chosen, Captain S. made the 
following speech to the crew. "In the first place," said 
he, "you will distinctly understand, that no swearing 
or fighting is allowed on board of this ship — be obedient 
to the officers and discharge your duty, and you will be 
used well. You shall have the forenoon watch below, 
and watch and watch in bad weather. Saturdays will 
be allowed you to cleanse the forecastle, wash and 
mend your clothes, &c. as I shall permit nothing of 
that kind to be done on the Sabbath day." I was 
much pleased with this harangue, as it spoke favour- 
ably for the future treatment of the crew. In this I 
was not disappointed. Captain S. was a native of 
Nantucket, and had in his younger days followed the 
whale fishery. He was kind and benevolent, moral in 
his deportment and a first rate seaman and navigator. 
He was companionable and gentlemanly, and yet kept 
up as good a discipline as could be exerted on board of 
a merchant ship. The second mate was a young man 



258 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

of twenty, limited in his experience, though active and 
foremost in the discharge of the 'feies rlejioL^ng +o his 
station. The crew, twelve in number, including the 
cook and steward, were generally stout able seamen, 
and although somewhat refractory, owing probably to 
the continual state of inebriation indulged in while on 
shore, yet the firmness and decision of Captain S. soon 
brought them to their senses, and finer seamen or better 
disposed men, never were on board of a ship. 

My observations on the* judicious conduct of Captain 
S. induced me to believe, that by a proper course of 
treatment to sailors, many of the evils and hardships 
experienced by seamen, may, in a great degree at least, 
be alleviated ; and although there are instances where 
the best treatment is observed towards a crew by the 
officers, nevertheless the basest ingratitude is sometimes 
exhibited by sailors in return ; however, as a general 
rule, I believe that good officers and kind treatment 
will make a good crew. 

Nothing material transpired during this passage, except 
that when we reached the length of the banks of New- 
foundland, codfish were caught in great numbers, so 
much so, that by corning them they lasted us the 
remainder of the passage. In thirty-five days we ar- 
rived off the harbor of Oporto. Saw a number of 
fishing boats, one of which came alongside, and from 
which we took a pilot to run us as far as the mouth of 
the harbor ; here it became necessary to anchor to wait 
till the tide served. 

The harbor of Oporto is perhaps as difficult of access, 
as any in the southof Europe. A bar lies off its mouth. 
The bottom is rocky and has but twelve feet water at 
low tide. The navigation of the river is exceedingly 
difficult, having many shoals with a rapid tide. We 
lay off the bar thirty-six hours, and exchanged our sea 
pilot for two river pilots ; they brought with them two 
boats having a hawser and kedge in each ; the end of 
the hawsers where passed in at each bow and the boats 
were stationed in the same direction. It was necessary 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 259 

to take this precaution, on account of tire rapidity of the 
tide as well as the narrowness of the channel. 

November* 4. — The tide now serving and the wind 
being fair, got under way and passed the bar in safety, 
and entered the river. Here we found the utility of the 
boats, the channel being so narrow and the tide setting 
in every direction made it necessary frequently to let go 
the kedges in order to cant the ship. The boatmen were 
more active in working a kedge than any that I had 
ever seen; indeed it is highly necessary that they 
should be so, for on their alertness, the safety of the 
ship and cargo oftentimes depends. We arrived off the 
town in safety, and dropped the ship into the pier, head 
on, made her fast and run an anchor out astern to pre- 
vent her from swinging. All necessary preparations 
were made for discharging, such as rigging out a stage 
from the bows to the pier, <fcc. It may be well to 
remark, that every vessel coming to this port with corn, 
is obliged to retail the cargo. This regulation is a good 
one, because it affords an equal chance to persons of 
limited means to cope with those whose means are 
abundant. When the hatches were opened, the in- 
habitants flocked on board in great numbers, especially 
the women, who, as I understood, were the only persons 
that carried on the baking business ; and it was a mat- 
ter of the most perfect astonishment to see those women 
carry from three to four bushels of corn on their heads 
a distance of half a mile, and for the most part up a steep 
hill. These women are rather of a low stature, with a 
broad chest, and in all respects very stoutly made. 
They are a most hardy race, being a mixture of the 
Moor and Portuguese. They appear to be of iron con- 
stitutions, and although labouring incessantly in all 
kinds of weather, they never shrink or are intimidated. 
Oporto lies in the parallel of 41° IV north latitude 
and 8° 38' west longitude. It cannot be seen from sea- 
ward, but when in the harbor its lofty buildings and 
tall spires present a fine commanding appearance, es- 
pecially as you have at one view a sight of nearly the 



260 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

whole city, it being built on the side of a hill ; but like 
all other Portuguese cities, the streets are narrow and 
dirty, and the interior of many of the houses compels 
one to believe that misery dwells there. This opinion 
is much strengthened from the. fact, that the streets are 
swarmed with beggars of every description, from the 
priest in his canonical robes down to the squalid misera- 
ble wretch, whose loathsomeness and importunity often- 
times obliges one to turn away with the greatest disgust. 
There too may be seen at almost every bend and corner 
of the streets, a mendicant friar with a small picture of 
the Virgin Mary, or of the Saviour upon the cross ; this 
is presented to every one that passes by, and the 
greatest importunity is made by the priest for alms in 
the name of the Virgin, or of the Saviour, as the case 
may be. If the person addressed be a Portuguese, he 
is obliged to give something or kiss the image ; and 
should a foreigner be importuned, which is not often 
the case, they generally give a few pence to get clear of 
these miserable men. But of all the impositions which 
are carried on, none appear to me to savour so much of 
injustice and oppression, as the exaction of tithes. On 
board of our ship there were four priests stationed who 
obliged every person purchasing corn to deliver unto 
them a tenth part. 1 have seen these priests in many 
instances wrest from the poor people— who perhaps were 
not able to purchase more than one bushel — their quota 
of corn, notwithstanding the poor wretches would plead 
for exemption in the most pitiable manner ; nevertheless 
these miscreants were inexorable. This was also the 
case with the poor fishermen, who after great toil and 
exposure had succeeded in obtaining a quantity of fish ; 
yet they were not privileged to dispose of any until the 
priests had selected their part, which in every instance 
were the best fish. Away then, thought I, "with a 
religion which countenances so much intolerance or 
oppression. The spirit of Christianity does not inculcate, 
neither does its heavenly precepts teach the doctrine to 
grind the face of the poor. And how little, thought I, 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 261 

do our countrymen appreciate the blessings of civil and 
religious liberty, and the superior advantages which 
they enjoy over the greater part of the nations of 
Europe, especially those who are under the dominion 
of Catholicism. 

In twenty-six days the cargo was all sold, the specie 
on board, the ship ballasted and ready for sea, being 
now bound to St. Ubes for a cargo of salt. We had the 
same pilots and boats who brought us into port. Drop- 
ped down to the mouth of the river in company with an 
American barque, bound also to St. Ubes. The weather 
being boisterous and the tide not serving, we lay two 
days at anchor ; at the expiration of which got under 
way to cross the bar. This was in opposition to the 
judgment of Oapt. S. because at the time there were 
"neap tides," the weather was squally, and the wind 
scant, and probably there would be barely sufficient 
water to carry the ship over the bar. Now as we had 
specie to the amount of fourteen thousand dollars, and 
the pilots were not much better than Moors, Capt. S. 
was fearful that they had taken this opportunity to cross 
the bar with a view that the ship might strike, and in 
that case they would most certainly get a heavy haul at 
the specie. On reaching the bar the wind headed off 
and the ship beat violently upon the rocks, breaking all 
the pintles of the rudder, except the upper one. By 
dint of great exertion and management of the sails, we 
got her over the bar, and came to an anchor. The rud- 
der still continuing to hang on, we secured its head as 
far as practicable, and concluded to make the best of 
our way to St. Ubes, in preference to going back to 
Oporto, especially as the captain of the barque agreed 
to keep company in case of accident. 

When three days out we experienced a heavy gale, 
but to our great satisfaction the rudder continued in its 
place. After the gale had moderated, however, and the 
wind had fallen to nearly a calm, there being conside- 
rable swell at the time, the pintles all gave way and 
down went the rudder. We had taken the previous 
23 



262 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

precaution to reeve a stout rope through the rudder 
head, and as the casing was wide the rope run out 
freely, and by this means we saved it. A signal now 
was hove out to the barque which was still in sight ; 
she came up and took us in tow, after which the rudder, 
although of immense weight, was hoisted on deck. On 
examination it was found that the composition pintles, 
four in number, were, broken off; the only one remain- 
ing was of iron, which hung between the water's edge 
and the head of the rudder. As it may be of importance 
to some of my readers, I will describe the manner in 
which we proceeded, in order that the rudder might be 
re-hung to steer the ship to her destined port. 
. In the first place, the iron pintle was taken off, and 
the bearding of the rudder above the lower pintle was 
cut away, so as to fit the iron pintle in its place ; then 
two square holes were cut in the forward part of the 
rudder, through which were rove a large rope, with a 
topsail-sheet knot in each end ; at the head of the rud- 
der a large- ringbolt was driven. These preparations 
being made it was hoisted out as well as the boat ; the 
ends of the two large ropes were then taken in at each 
gangway, and led to the windlass, and to our great 
satisfaction, although there was a considerable swell, 
the first attempt that was made, (after we had hoisted 
the rudder up the casing by sheers,) we succeeded in 
hanging it ; after which the ropes at the windlass were 
hove taut, so as to secure the heel to the stern post. 
Straps were fitted to go over the rudder-head, and 
secured to the deck, in order to keep it in its place ; 
the tiller was then shipped, and we found that she 
answered her helm the same as ever. The hawser 
was now cast off from the barque, all sail was made, 
with a fair wind, and in two days we arrived safely at 
the port of St. Ubes. 



CHAPTER XXIV. 



RETURN TO THE UNITED STATES VOYAGE TO THE WEST INDIES 

SUPERNATURAL APPEARANCES ON BOARD, 

By the details in the preceding chapter, it will be 
seen that it would have been impossible to have ship- 
ped the rudder in a sea-way if it had been one of 
the patent kind ; but as this was an old fashioned one 
and the casing being large, little difficulty Avas expe- 
rienced in the whole operation. Another great object 
was attained — if the ship had been towed into port, of 
course they would have claimed a salvage of at least ten 
or twelve thousand dollars, as it was, however, a small 
compensation of three hundred dollars was alone award- 
ed to the barque, so that in view of all this, the old 
fashioned method of completing the rudder and casing, 
is preferable. The rudder was again unhung and 
hoisted in ; the carpenter fitted moulds, and Captain S. 
proceeded to Lisbon and got a set of pintles and braces 
cast, which were fitted on to the rudder, and it was 
again put in its place. 

We now commenced taking in a cargo of salt, and it 
was a matter of astonishment to see with what dexterity 
and accuracy the Portuguese salt-heavers hove it on the 
deck. Our rail was at least ten feet from the water's 
edge, notwithstanding they appeared to work with as 
much ease as if they were heaving it on a level. Six of 
those men will do more work in a day at heaving salt, 
than twenty sailors ; this fact was established by a bet 
during the time we lay there. In a few days we com- 
pleted taking in our cargo, and on the 7th of December, 
got under way, made all sail and stood to sea, home- 
ward bound. 



264 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

The port of St. Ubes lies in the latitude of 38° 32' N. 
and longitude 8° 50' west. It has a fine harbour where 
vessels may lay with the most perfect security, it being 
nearly land locked, and the entrance is very narrow. 
St. Ubes is an excellent port for shipping, as refresh- 
ments of all kinds may be had in abundance and at 
very low rates ; as a proof of this our ship with a com- 
plement of fourteen men, was supplied with fresh fish 
for twelve and a half cents per day ; and fruit, especially 
grapes, may be obtained in great quantities. The grapes 
here are the largest and most delicious that I have seen 
in any part of the world. 

The town of St. Ubes is small and at this period con- 
tained about eight thousand inhabitants. The trade is 
inconsiderable as it has no other export but salt. Busi- 
ness can never augment in any great degree in this 
place, because it must remain entirely eclipsed by Lis- 
bon, which is only about sixty miles distant from it. 

We continued our course southwardly, and on the 
14th of December saw the fine island of Madeira, bear- 
ing south-south-east ten leagues ; from this period we 
had a fresh breeze until we reached the parallel of 27° 
north. This being within the limit of the trade winds, 
and as they were now fresh and fair, we steered away to 
the westward. In a few days, however, the trade winds 
became very light and continued so until we had run 
our westing up. After hauling the ship to the north- 
ward, the weather became boisterous, and on reaching 
the coast of America we had long and severe north-west 
gales. These head winds, together with the light trade 
winds, lengthened our passage, and it was 61 days be- 
fore we arrived in the Chesapeake Bay, which was on 
the 7th day of February, 1817; and it was not until the 
16th that We arrived in Baltimore, making a passage of 
70 days. There are no class of persons perhaps, who 
have greater enjoyment than seamen when they arrive 
in port after a long and boisterous passage, especially if 
it be in the winter. Indeed, it is only by the depriva- 
tion of the social comforts of home, with its additional 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 265 

blessings, that they can be properly realized and enjoyed. 
Who then is so well calculated as the seaman to appre- 
ciate those attractions, deprived as he is for the most 
part of that which makes life agreeable ; confined to the 
narrow limits of a ship's deck, and obliged to breathe the 
air of a forecastle ; at the same time his living is gene- 
rally of the coarsest kind, and his associations bounded 
by the few who belong to the ship. I say, with all 
these discomforts it is not to be wondered at, that a 
sailor is the happiest man on earth when he comes on 
shore. It is very certain that many sailors circumscribe 
their enjoyments to acts of the most disgraceful charac- 
ter ; there are, however, strong and cogent reasons for 
this conduct. In the first place they are generally con- 
sidered an isolated class of beings — society will not re- 
ceive or take them by the hand, and, therefore, they be- 
come dupes to designing men, whose interest it is, if 
possible, to keep their senses blunted, in order to filch 
from them their hard earnings, and by their constant 
application to the intoxicating bowl, with other scenes 
of debauchery attendant upon this indulgence, they are 
thereby, placed among the lowest and most wretched 
ranks of society. I have known a sailor to be caught in 
the trap of one of those designing knaves, when he first 
came on shore, with a good chest of clothes and a hun- 
dred dollars in his pocket, to be kept nearly senseless 
with rum for three weeks, and at the expiration of 
which his money as well as his clothes were all gone 
and the poor unfortunate fellow was obliged to ship ; 
and to make up the catalogue of his miseries, the month's 
advance was taken by his landlord, and then he was 
dragged like a dog or an ox on board in a state of in- 
sensibility ; and it often happens that they are five or 
six days at sea, before they come to a state of perfect 
consciousness, when for the first time they learn the 
name of the ship and captain, and whither she is bound. 
Once more I was surrounded by the family with 
whom I had resided previously to my embarkation on 
the voyage just detailed. With what emotions of plea- 
23* 



266 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

sure does the youthful heart vibrate, especially that of a 
sailor, when love and friendship are reciprocal. Toils and 
privations are forgotten — and when dwelling on the rap- 
turous present, he looks forward with unclouded vision 
for happiness to be enjoyed in the future. 'The light 
and buoyant spirit ever animated by the fair side of 
hope, contemplates this round world as one vast thea- 
tre of bliss, on which there are countless resources of 
felicity within its grasp : the car of prosperity, too, rolls 
along unimpeded nor once dreams of change. Hap- 
pily the morning and spring time of life dwells with 
fervent ardour upon the brighter and gayer scenes, 
which nature hath bountifully prepared for its enjoy- 
ment ; for soon, alas ! does the blighting mildews of 
winter roll along with* its concomitant attendants — pain, 
affliction and woe, irresistibly reminding us that "all is 
vanity here below." 

Three weeks had now passed away almost unobserv- 
ed since I came on shore, and each successive day I 
found a stronger interest gathering around me for this 
family, and those feelings which I had striven to drive 
from my mind on the last voyage in reference to one 
particular branch of it, I not only now found had taken 
deeper root, but also conceived it necessary to make an 
open confession of my attachment. To my great de- 
light, I learned that the attachment was mutual; satis- 
fied with this explanation, and having bound myself by 
an obligation which could be severed only by death, I 
felt it necessary to use every exertion to reach the head 
of my profession. 

I was poor, as it may well be supposed, having lost 
every thing during the war, and as two years only had 
transpired since that period, of course it may well be 
conceived, that I had not accumulated any great amount 
of wealth ; besides I had resolved never to unite myself to 
a lady unless I could at least render her pecuniary situa- 
tion quite as advantageous as it was with her relatives. 
With these views then it did not seem likely that a 
union could take place in less than two years. 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 267 

About this time application was made to me by the 

same owners, to go out as mate of the Brig O , Capt. 

C. bound to the West Indies, with an assurance that 
on our return I should have a berth on board of an 
East Indiaman. Now as the voyage was short, and as 
I did not wish to lose time for the reasons before men- 
tioned, I readily embraced the offer. 

In a few days the brig was ready for sea, and as my 
private matters were arranged satisfactorily, I bacte all 
my friends adieu, and embarked on the llth of March, 
1817. The crew being all on board and the wind fair, 
though light, we cast off from the wharf, made sail and 
stood down the river. We had not proceeded far when 
the wind came ahead and we were obliged to beat. 
Our craft was a clipper of the first stamp, very sharp 
and heavily rigged, consequently her best sailing was 
upon a wind. Capt. C. was what sailors sometimes 
call, "an odd kind of a christian." The predominant 
trait in his character was indolence, consequently it 
may be supposed he was not much of a disciplinarian, 
and yet when roused (and this could only be done by 
some flagrant act of disobedience) he was a perfect lion. 
Usually, however, he was good tempered, mild and 
easy, constantly depending on his officers to carry on 
the details of the vessel. The crew consisted of ten 
men and a boy, all told. We continued to beat down 
with a wind fresh from the southward, and came to 
an anchor at 8 p. m. in the outer roads of Annapolis. 
Voyages to the West Indies ordinarily do not elicit 
much interest, and I did not intend to fatigue the reader 
with a detailed account of this one, only for the reason 
that there were circumstances connected with it which 
to many may savour strongly of superstition ; neverthe- 
less, they did transpire, and to me were perfectly unac- 
countable. Take the following as one among the more 
prominent. 

I stated that the brig was anchored in the outer roads 
of Annapolis, distant one and a half miles from the 
nearest shore ; the two boats (all that belonged to the 



268 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

brig) were stowed on deck, the night was moonlight, 
perfectly clear and cloudless. I mention these circum- 
stances because the truth of the following narration 
depends in some degree upon them. At 8 p. m. the 
anchor watch was set, and after the usual orders were 
given by the pilot, we all turned in. About midnight I 
was aroused from a sound sleep, by hearing a voice 
calling upon Capt. C. to come immediately on deck. It 
proceeded from the sailor who had the watch. A second 
call was given more earnestly than the first, begging 
Capt. C. for God's sake to come on deck, as there was 
a woman dressed in black, who had inquired for him. 
Believing the sailor to be half drunk — as was generally 
the case at that period when vessels left port — I drove 
him away, but he persisted in his importunities for 
Capt. C. to make his appearance. By this time we all 
roused up and proceeded on" deck, the sailor pointing 
out the place where he had seen and talked with the 
woman. After the most diligent search, however, no 
sign or trace of the supernatural being was found, and 
bestowing a severe reprimand on the seaman, we once 
more turned into our berths. About 2 a. m. we were 
again roused by another sailor for the same purpose; 
this was a perfectly sober man, a resident of Baltimore, 
with a family. He gave us the same account as the for- 
mer, said he could not be mistaken, for he saw the 
woman plainly and heard her inquire for Capt. C. The 
crew being now all huddled together on the forecas- 
tle, corroborated his testimony. The most scrutinizing 
search was again made, but without effect. There 
could be no deception practised on us by the seamen, 
because the boats were on deck in their places, and the 
first sailor who had called on Capt. C. had no inter- 
course previously with the remainder of the crew. I 
was determined to know if there were any grounds for 
the truth of this alarming sight to the seamen ; so I 
walked the deck during the remainder of the night but 
saw nothing. The next morning the wind came fair, 
and we commenced to get under way, but the sailors 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 269 

came aft in a body and begged Capt. C. to give them 
their discharge, that they would give back their month's 
advance and their clothes and bedding to boot; stating 
that they could not go out in the vessel as they well 
knew that she would never get back again. This was 
ridiculed by Capt. C. and they became very importu- 
nate in their demand. The naturally easy temper of 
the skipper became much roused, and, as Jack saw, (to 
use an old saying) "if you tread on a worm he will 
turn," that he was not to be played with, they walked 
sullenly forward, manned the windlass, hove up the 
anchor, and in a few minutes the brig was under a 
cloud of canvas, standing down the Chesapeake Bay. 
We had a fine run down, discharged the pilot on the 
13th of March, and stood to sea. 

The second day after leaving the land, it blowing 
fresh and being in the gulf stream, the brig became very 
laboursome, straining so much that we were obliged to 
keep one pump constantly going ; before night the top- 
gallantmasts, yards, rigging, &c. were all sent down 
on deck and secured. It blew a strong gale, and every 
sail was furled except the main and fore-topmast stay- 
sails. At 6 p. m. the rain fell in torrents, and heavy 
black clouds rolled up from the north-west, with fre- 
quent claps of thunder and sharp flashes of lightning. 
Between the hours of 6 and 8 in the last dog-watch, the 
supernatural being again appeared to the two men who 
first saw her while at anchor, they now having the 
watch on deck and the look-out forward. I had charge 
of the watch myself at this time, but as the night was 
intensely dark nothing could be seen except at intervals 
by the flashes of lightning ; so that it was not surpris- 
ing as I was standing ' aft, that I did not see this 
unearthly figure. It was however, a source of the 
greatest alarm, and I could perceive, notwithstanding 
Captain C. affected great unconcern, he nevertheless 
could not sleep any more than the crew. The gale 
increased and the sea rose to a tremendous height, we 
expected every moment from the appearance of the 



270 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

weather a shift of the wind. At midnight precisely 
the solemn visitor was again seen on the forecastle, but 
as before, neither Captain C. nor myself were permitted 
to behold it. In about twenty minutes after this appear- 
ance, the wind shifted suddenly to the north-west, and 
it blew a perfect tornado. The brig was thrown nearly 
on her beam ends. Being pressed by the two staysails, 
the axes were got in readiness to cut away the mast, 
but before this was executed, the staysail sheets gave way 
and the violence of the wind blew the sails away from . 
the bolt-ropes. The brig being now relieved from the 
pressure of canvas, righted so far as to feel the action of 
the helm, which she quickly answered, and after a few 
rolling seas had washed over the quarter, she rounded off 
before the wind, and in a few minutes she was scud- 
ding at the rate of eleven knots. In this disaster we 
lost all of our spars, boats and caboose house.; fortunately 
the caboose being well secured to the, deck was saved, 
and no lives were lost. The violence of the gale was 
such that in about two hours the heavy south-east swell 
went down, and the brig scudded with great security. 
The heavy, dense, black masses of clouds were driven 
off by the violence of the gale, and settled away to the 
south-east, and at 4 p. m. the sky was perfectly clear ; 
the moon shone brightly, and the sea became following 
and regular, presenting a very different scene from that 
which was exhibited at midnight. 

Once more the crew became comparatively cheerful, 
and when the morning light broke forth, the gale had 
moderated. Double reef topsails were set, and we steered 
away to the southward. 

Nothing material transpired during the remainder of 
the passage. The weather was unusually fine, and yet 
by no threat or importunity could any sailor be induced 
to go aloft alone in the night ; in fact it was the univer- 
sal opinion of the crew that the brig was haunted, and 
of course it was a theme of controversy during the 
passage. I recollect one night while crossing the trade 
winds, having the middle watch on deck, that I over- 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 271 

heard the following dialogue by two seamen on the 
main deck. "Bill," said an old salt to another that 
happened to be the same who first saw our lady visitor. 
"Did you look at the old man's phyzog that morning 
when we went aft to get our discharge." "Yes," said 
Bill, "and it looked for all the world as if he had been 
frightened out of his seventeen senses. I'd like," con- 
tinued he, "to be out of this craft, and I'll tell you what, 
by the way, she's a little too small to carry me back, if 
ever these pins get foot-hold of shore." "I'll bet a 
month's wages," returned the other, "that this craft or 
oar long slink of a skipper don't reach yankee land 
again." "Avast there !" said Bill, "belay that slack 
rope, look over the side here, and you wont see a 
bubble, and yet she's going seven knots by the log, 
and there's not wind enough to fill an old woman's 
night-cap. I say, messmate, you'll not have enough 
coming to you for a single cruise, for you know we've 
had one month's advance, and at this rate of going we 
shall get back — " Here he stopped short, and then as if 
the supernatural appearance was before him, resumed 
in a serious tone, "that is messmate, if ever she does 
get back." The conversation was then carried on in a 
lower and more serious tone. "That was a sad night," 
continued Bill, "when this craft like to have turned the 
turtle with us." "I jist thought as much in the first 
dog-watch," said the other, "so you know as it was 
my first bunk below, and think's I to myself, if we've 
got to go to kingdom come, it's no time for Sam 
Jenkins to be catched napping." "I was much of the 
same way of thinking," said Bill, "and so we kept the 
deck together or we might have had a bit of a hoist out 
of our bunks. But some how or other I don't much 
like that old skipper of ours, and I'm thinking if he was 
out of this craft, we shouldn't have any more visits from 
that lady in black." "She is a unlucky craft any how," 
said the other, "there was poor Ben Billings fell from 
her topmast-head longside of the wharf, and never 
spoke a word afterwards — and then I heard old Swipes, 



272 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

our cook say the other day, that she lost both of her top- 
masts the first voyage." 

These and similar conversations were continued for a 
time, and in conclusion they concerted a plan to effect 
their escape when we should arrive in the West Indies. 

We had a short run out and arrived safely in the 
island of Martinique. Here we purchased a large boat 
and some spars of a French ship ; but as we did not 
find a sale for the cargo, we proceeded without delay to 
the island of Guadaloupe, where we arrived in about 
thirty-six hours, and anchored in the bay of Point 
Petre. The cargo was immediately sold and discharg- 
ed, and we commenced taking in a return cargo of 
sugars. It is well known that Point Petre, is one of 
the most unhealthy ports in the West Indies ; it is 
almost entirely land-locked, and is situated on the lee- 
ward part of the island, consequently it has none of the 
exhilirating influence of the wholesome sea breezes 
which blow perpetually in these latitudes. The yellow 
fever, cholera morbus and dysentery, prevailed to an 
alarming degree, and therefore our men were deterred 
from putting their previous plans of desertion into execu- 
tion. 

The brig was now about half loaded, and as yet the 
epidemic had not visited us, but the mortality was great 
among the shipping in the harbour, and it was not 
unusual to see two or more corpses carried on shore 
every morning. At length, however, the fatal disease 
made its appearance among our crew, in connection 
with the dreaded reappearance of our supernatural 
visitor. It was reported by two of the crew, that on 
the night previously to the fatal malady having gotten 
among us, that she was again seen on the forecastle. 
There were six, myself being one of the number, that 
were seized with yellow fever and cholera morbus. 
The fever raged with great violence, and three of our 
men were confined ten or twelve days, to one of whom 
it proved fatal ; the rest, myself being one, were soon 
relieved. 



CHAPTER XXV. 

CONCLUSION OF THE WEST INDIA VOYAGE — SAIL FOR LONDON, 
BATAVIA, &C« 

Every exertion was now made by Captain C. to get 
clear of this port, for it might well be called a vast 
enamel house. To whatever point the vision was 
directed, you might have seen the sad remains of some 
one being conveyed to the silent repository of the dead, 
and on board of any vessel that was visited, the ear 
would be saluted with either the groans of the dying, 
or of some one raving under the scorching fever. 

April 13. — This morning was ushered in with clear 
and perfectly calm weather. The brig being now ready 
for sea, it became necessary to tow her out of the 
harbour, and with the assistance of three other boats 
belonging to American vessels, we succeeded in reach- 
ing the offing at ten a. m. I can safely say that I 
never felt as much gratification in my life on leaving 
any port, as I did on this occasion ; this feeling ap- 
peared to be general among all hands. Indeed the fear 
and dread of our supernatural visitor seemed to give 
place to an universal sense of satisfaction in getting 
clear of Point Petre, and once more inhaling the health- 
ful influence of the sea breeze. The cfew were gene- 
rally weak and much debilitated, and it was neces- 
sary to proceed with caution, until they had gained 
some strength and vigour from this change which be- 
came more and more visible every day. We had a 
constant succession of fair winds, consequently had a 
fine run up to the coast, and as neither accident nor 
disaster befell us, the idea of our visitor appearing again 
seemed to be banished from the minds of the crew. 
24 



274 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

-On the morning of the 26th we were in ten fathoms 
water, and judged ourselves in the latitude of Cape 
Henry. The weather being thick and exceedingly 
threatening of course we could not see the land. At 9 
a. m. the wind shifted suddenly to the north-west, and 
blew a gale, insomuch that Ave were obliged to heave 
to on the larboard tack. At midnight we found our- 
selves in the gulf stream, and as the gale did not 
moderate until 5 p. m. the next day, the current had 
set us so far to the eastward, that we did not get into 
the Chesapeake Bay until the 2d of May. In this gale 
the fore-topsail, jib and trysail were blown from the 
bolt-ropes, the brig had become strained very much 
with her heavy cargo, and it was a matter of no small 
consolation to us all when we made her fast to the 
wharf on the 4th of May. 

Thus ended one of the most unpleasant and at the 
same time the most extraordinary voyage, that I ever 
made. But in reference to the voyage, the most inex- 
plicable coincidence yet remains to be related. When 
we sailed from Baltimore, the wife of Captain C. resided 
in Nantucket ; on our return he found a letter awaiting 
him, conveying the sorrowful information that his wife 
was dead. Comparing the period of her demise with 
that of the first appearance of the lady in black, while 
laying in Annapolis Roads, the time exactly corres- 
ponded. With these relative facts then I shall leave 
the reader to form his own opinion as to the possibility 
or probability of supernatural appearances. 

The East Indiaman on board of which I was pro- 
mised a first officer's berth, I found on my arrival was 
nearly ready for sea ; consequently I repaired on board 
and assumed the duties of my station. She was to 
proceed to London with a cargo of flour, and from 
thence to Batavia, and back to Amsterdam as the port 
of discharge. Having very little time to spend on 
shore, I need not say that every spare moment was 
given to the object, which had the largest share in my 
affections. It was at this period that our mutual vows 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 275 

were plighted, but as in my judgment it was neither 
expedient or proper on account of my pecuniary circum- 
stances to consummate the nuptials, our union was 
deferred until my return. 

May 14, 1817. — The ship being ready for sea and the 
crew all on board, we cast off from the wharf, made all 
sail with a fair wind, and stood down the river. Every 
thing with which I was now surrounded on board of 
this ship, indicated, to say the least of it, as pleasant a 
voyage and as much happiness, as ordinarily falls to the 
lot of a seafaring life. She was about four hundred 
tons burthen, considered a fast sailer, strong, tight, and 
completely fitted out for an East India voyage. Captain 
R. was somewhat advanced in years, an educated man, 
and a scientific navigator; in a word, in him were com- 
bined all the qualities which constitute a gentleman. 
The crew consisted of three mates, carpenter and sail- 
maker, eight able seamen and four boys, with a cook 
and steward, amounting to twenty in number. When 
proceeding down the bay, the following conversation 
took place between Captain R. and myself in the cabin. 

"Mr. L.," said he, "I am now sixty years of age, and 
have been buffetting salt water upwards of forty years, 
and, as you may suppose, I am not able to undergo 
much exposure or hardship , I shall therefore implicitly 
confide to your management and care the duties and 
details of this ship ; with this sole exception, that I 
expect to be consulted in any and every emergency ; 
and I also shall direct her courses during the voyage. 
I shall uphold you in enforcing good discipline, but as 
long experience, and consequently much intercourse 
with seamen, hath taught me that kind words and 
good usage generally make a valuable crew, I expect 
therefore you will observe this kind of treatment to- 
wards them. My usual custom is, to give watch and 
watch, and allow them Saturday to wash and mend 
their clothes, to cleanse the forecastle, &c. so that as 
far as practicable, the Sabbath may be observed as it 
ever ought to be, a day of rest." In thirty-six hours 



276 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

we reached the Capes of Virginia, discharged the pilot 
and went to sea with a fine westerly wind. 

At 10 a. m. May 28th, at meridian, Cape Henry bore 
west-north-west, distant four leagues ; at night the 
watches were chosen and set and the regulations of the 
ship were delivered to the crew; the substance of 
which was the detailed conversation held with Captain 
R. in the cabin. Nothing unusual transpired during 
the first part of this passage to interrupt the usual 
monotony of a sea-life. I had the satisfaction, however, 
to find that we had a fine crew of able seamen, and 
that the officers were young men of education, with 
whom I was on terms of the strictest intimacy. Up to 
June 11th, we had a constant succession of strong 
westerly winds, at this period, however, the weather 
became exceedingly boisterous, which obliged us to 
scud under close reefed topsails. An occurrence took 
place this day, June 12th, which shows a remarkable 
coincidence ; viz. At meridian, heavy black clouds 
arose in the northern board, the wind being at this 
time about west-south-west, blowing a heavy gale, and 
the ship was under close reef fore and main-topsails and 
reefed foresail, when it suddenly shifted to north and 
blew so violently that before we could get our sails furled, 
the topsails were torn from the bolt-ropes. Fortunately, 
however, it did not last Long or the ship must have run 
under. I mention this as a coincidence, because in the 
same latitude and longitude on a former voyage a 
tornado of the same character was experienced, and also 
as in the present instance, the fore and main-topsails 
were blown away. 

In twenty-five days from the Capes, we arrived in 
the British channel, and no power of description can 
portray an adequate idea of the serenity of the weather. 
As far as the eye could reach, vessels of all descriptions 
were seen, some upon a wind, others before the wind, 
many stretching up and many standing down the chan- 
nel ; but more especially when we drew up toward the 
"Fore Lands," it was a matter of astonishment to behold 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 277 

the number and variety of vessels bound to London, 
the greatest emporium of commerce, perhaps in the 
world. 

July % — We took a Dover pilot, and had a fine run 
up to Gravesend ; here as usual we exchanged him 
for a river pilot. These men, as I have before observed, 
are probably the best pilots in the world, perfectly mas- 
ters of their business ; they assume the entire responsi- 
bility, and I have never seen a ship handled in a more 
seaman-like manner than by those men. 

July 11. — We entered the London dock, and after the 
customary forms of entering <fcc. commenced to dis- 
charge the cargo. Nothing worthy of note or comment 
transpired until the cargo was entirely discharged, the 
ship ballasted, with every other necessary preparation 
for an India passage. It was about this time that we 
received a visit from the Duke of Wellington, the 
Marquis of Wellesley and lady, and R. Patterson, esq. 
and lady, the latter being a son of the owner of the 
ship. The ladies were both Americans, and daughters 
of R. Caton, esq. of Baltimore. I mention this circum- 
stance to show that there was nothing strange or un- 
accountable in the visit to our ship by these persons of 
distinction ; nor do I think it worth while to give a 
description of them, as it would be foreign to the general 
object of this work. Suffice it to say, that the utmost 
good humour and sociability prevailed among them ; 
and when about to leave, in addition, to distributing 
not a few bank notes among the crew, our venerable 
captain had a pressing invitation to dine with the noble 
duke. 

July 24. — The specie was taken on board, and we 
hauled out of dock, made sail and stood down the river, 
with a fair wind. 26th — Discharged the pilot off Dover, 
and proceeded down the channel. 28th — The Lizard 
lights bore north-north-east, five leagues distant, from 
whence we took a departure, being the last land seen. 
29th — Once more we were upon the broad ocean "where 
sky and water meet," under a press of sail, with a fair 
24* 



278 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

wind, and what is always to be desired, a fine, strong 
ship, well fitted out, with a good crew, all in high spirits. 
As the ship is now fairly at sea, I shall pause to relate 
a circumstance which may be deemed trivial, but its re- 
sults to me have been of the most momentous kind. After 
the regulations and discipline of the ship were establish- 
ed on our departure from the United States, for the first 
time during the whole period of my sea-life, I saw a 
Bible, which had been put on board by some agent of 
the Bible SoQiety, for the use of the crew, with this in- 
scription, viz. "the Word of God, presented by the 
Bible Society for the use of the officers and crew of the 
ship William. My feelings were penetrated with a deep 
sense of gratitude for this little offering. Ah ! thought 
I, is it possible that men who have no interest at stake 
should care for the well-being, and I may say, the sal- 
vation of poor, neglected seamen; and as if roused from 
a profound reverie, all those religious precepts and teach- 
ings, and especially those wholesome admonitions, which 
were so carefully bestowed on me by my relatives in the 
days of my youth, were irresistibly brought up to my 
recollection in their most glowing form ; and then memo- 
ry portrayed with the strongest colouring, the exposures, 
dangers and perils of the past peculiar to my vocation. 
How often had my life been suspended upon a nine 
or twelve thread rattling, how often, too, when on the 
high and giddy mast, the howling winds proclaimed 
the funeral dirge of a companion, whose grasp was 
severed by its fury and he swept into eternity; and 
then again while at the cannon's mouth the enemy's 
deadly shot had stricken down the youthful seamen, 
who bade fair for long and happy life ; and then, too, 
the heavy roaring surf with its dashing foam swept 
with unrelenting fury one from my side, who was 
the partner of my toil; and then again the constant 
exposure upon the fickle element ; a seaman's life is 
always bounded between time and eternity by a two 
and a half or three inch plank ; to say nothing of the 
hurricane and tornado, the merciless pirate, and the 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 279 

often exposure to pestilential climes. These and many- 
other perils passed in review before me, yet from them 
all thus far I had been delivered. Overpowered by 
these reflections, I resolved to lead a different life, and 
although the "Word of God" was always a part of my 
sea stock, yet I had long shamefully neglected its pe- 
rusal. 

With many other officers, I had long been of the 
opinion, that severe treatment and hard labor were the 
best means to establish good discipline on board of a 
ship, but my views in this respect, however, now began 
to waver. In considering the character of seamen, I was 
led to believe that they were generally men of as much 
character as any other number of men which could be 
selected on shore with the same education ; and that 
their peculiarities and habits arose principally from pri- 
vations and their seclusion from social intercourse with 
society and domestic life. There is also another feature 
in reference to the condition of seamen — that is, they 
are unlike any other class of labouring men, for while 
a working-man on shore receives his pay daily or 
weekly, a seaman receives the whole amount of his 
wages in one sum when the voyage is finished. Natu- 
rally generous and improvident, with a large sum of mo- 
ney in his possession, he soon becomes the dupe of un- 
principled men, (of whom there are numbers ready to take 
advantage of his unsuspicious nature,) and he is speedily 
stripped of his hard earnings, which necessarily cuts short 
his time on shore and obliges him to renew his vocation 
at sea. 

As no period of my sojourn upon the ocean was more 
favourable for impressing upon the minds of seamen the 
necessity to respect their own moral characters, especially 
as I had the approbation of Capt. R. who, as I before 
stated, was a man of high moral worth, I resolved to 
put into operation what I had contemplated in their 
behalf. To do this, great caution and firmness were 
necessary to maintain the discipline of the ship. In the 
first place then, I pointed out to them the uselessness 



280 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

and enormity of using profane language. This was the 
first prohibition and by the officers rigidly observing 
the interdiction, it was not long before this miserable 
practice was almost entirely banished from the ship. 
My next object was to dissuade them from the per- 
nicious indulgence of drinking grog. "It is owing to 
this," said I, "that you are looked upon as the most de- 
graded class of beings in society, and when on shore 
you are excluded from all the pleasures of society and 
the endearments of domestic life ; yes," continued I, 
"it is drinking grog that places you on a level with the 
lowest and basest of our species ; it is drinking grog 
which filches your hard earnings from your pockets, 
and while your senses are benumbed with this worst of 
poisons, you become the prey of sharpers and those 
who smile at you, but at the same time are without 
remorse inflicting upon you the greatest injury ; thus 
you are dispossessed of your means, and necessarily 
obliged, with but little intermission, to be constantly 
upon the ocean ; so that by persisting in the evil prac- 
tices of drinking and carousing, in connection with your 
exposures and hardships at sea, you soon' become dis- 
eased. Look around you, and where will you find a 
sailor advanced in years? To be sure, Capt. R. is an 
aged man, but then it has been fair weather with him 
for many years, there are nearly twenty of us belonging 
to this ship, and Jack Saunders is the oldest man (with 
the exception of Capt. R.) and he has scarcely arrived 
to the age of forty. Now I ask, where are all the old 
sailors ? Why, I will answer that question, many of them 
go to Davy Jones' locker, and many others, who for the 
reasons before mentioned, soon contract disease, and a 
premature old age and broken down constitution is the 
consequence, and then they are laid up in ordinary 
and become useless hulks. It is not long, however, be- 
fore the disease which has been induced by grog and 
severe exposure proves fatal, and then poor Jack, per- 
haps friendless and unknown, is stowed away in Potters' 
field." 

I then endeavoured to show them the worth and 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 281 

value of seamen, as being the great connecting link 
which unites nation to nation ; and without whom com- 
merce could never be carried on, and a navy which is 
the defence and bulwark of our country, could never be 
maintained. These and many other arguments were 
used, and although two or three became converts to 
total abstinence, yet the others conceived the disuse of 
grog to be sO great a privation, that every argument 
proved ineffectual to induce them to relinquish it alto- 
gether. At this period it was the universal practice to 
allow sailors a glass of spirits at dinner, and generally in 
cold and wet weather an extra. I am clearly of the opin- 
ion that many of the difficulties which have arisen at sea 
has been owing to this custom, for there has been more 
than one instance, which has come under my own 
experience, where sailors have saved up their allow- 
ance of spirits, in order (to use their own expression) to 
have a blow out. It was generally the case on those 
occasions that their conduct became mutinous, and 
very serious consequences followed. Among our crew 
there was a fine specimen of a noble and true-hearted 
sailor ; Jack Saunders was an able seaman, a first rate 
sailmaker, and a good carpenter ; he was always the 
first on deck in his watch, and no man was ever out to 
the weather-earring before him ; he was one of those 
generous hearted souls, who would never fill his main- 
topsail when he saw a shipmate in distress. But poor 
Jack had a particular fondness for a glass of grog, 
although he was as steady as a clock at sea, for the 
plain reason that there was no grog to be had, conse- 
quently it could not be otherwise. I conceived a strong 
desire to be instrumental to change this man's habits, 
and placing him in a condition to which he was entitled 
by his worth and merit. It seemed therefore to be ne- 
cessary first to gain his confidence and then appeal to 
his moral feelings. It was not difficult to surmount the 
first intention, but in reference to the second, however, 
it required much time to uproot his preconceived notions ; 
still I was certain that perseverance could even effect 
this, 



CHAPTER XXVI. 

ARRIVAL AT BATAVIA RETURN VOYAGE SICKNESS OF CREW 

PUT IN AT CAPE OF GOOD HOPE PROFLIGACY OF SEAMEN ON 

^HORE, &C. 

And now to return to the ship. Every thing seemed 
to conspire to make this voyage pleasant and agreeable, 
the wind blew fresh and fair, and we sailed along the 
southern coast of Europe and the north-east coast of 
Africa, passing along to the eastward of the Cape de 
Verd Islands, and with the exception of two days of 
calms and heavy rains (of which we took advantage to 
fill up all our water casks) we had a strong north-east 
trade wind, and crossed the equinoctial line in 25° 
west longitude, in twenty-eight days from London. 
Without any cessation, the north-east trades gradually 
hauled round to the southward, and gave us a fine run 
across the south Atlantic. In this passage we saw the 
island of Tristan d'Acunha. The weather here became 
somewhat boisterous and heavy, and continued thus, 
until we reached the parallel of 38° south latitude, and 
34° east longitude, then the wind hauled round to the 
westward with steady, strong gales, and as we had 
nearly 100° of east longitude to run, we continued to 
steer in this parallel of latitude, say 38° south. With 
few exceptions, there was but little intermission of the 
westerly gales until we had passed the parallel of the 
islands of St. Paul and Amsterdam, and had reached 
105° east longitude, at which time we hauled away 
to the northward, and after experiencing some light 
baffling winds and squally weather, we succeeded in 
gaining the limits of the south-east trade winds ; of 
course the position of the ship was such as to make 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 283 

these winds fair, so that when they came the best pos- 
sible use was made of -them. On the 14th of October 
we made Java Head, bearing east-south-east 20 miles. 
Entered the Straits of Sunda at 10 a. m. and after a 
tedious passage of four days anchored in Batavia Roads, 
having made the passage in eighty-four days from Lon- 
don. 

Capt. R. proceeded on shore and gave up the entire 
details and management of the ship to me. The un- 
healthiness of Batavia is well known, and it is necessary 
to use great caution in order to preserve the health of 
the crew. To effect this, they were kept as much as 
possible from exposure to the sun and night air, conse- 
quently they were never permitted to go on shore in 
the boats ; a crew of Malays being hired for the purpose 
of pulling the boat off and on. On entering this port, 
we immediately spread awnings fore and aft the ship, 
and, as is customary on India voyages, she was stripped 
to her girtlines ; the rigging was all overhauled, together 
with every mast and spar. This being done, the most 
favourable opportunity was embraced, (say when the 
sun was obscured,) to get the ship rigged again. By 
observing the most prudent care with the crew, they 
continued in a healthy condition while we remained in 
port. This was owing principally to the fact of our 
having a large quantity of water remaining from our 
London stock, and which was used by the crew during 
the whole of our stay, having taken the precaution at 
the same time to fill up our water casks when we first 
arrived ; so that by the time we were ready for sea it 
became purified of itself, consequently was used with- 
out the usual bad effects of Batavia water. Another 
precaution was also taken which added much to the 
health of our men, viz. the entire disuse of ardent 
spirits, and the substitution of coffee in its place. While 
the yellow fever and dysentery raged, producing great 
mortality among the crews of shipping laying in port; 
we did not lose a man, neither was there any of the 
crew off duty during our stay here. 



284 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

December 30. — We had now finished taking in our 
cargo of coffee, and the ship being all ready for sea, 
Capt. R. came on board, January 1st, 1818, at which 
time we got under way, made all sail and stood down 
the straits. This being the season when the little 
monsoon changes, the passage through these straits 
was very much retarded by severe squalls, attended 
with heavy rains and frequent calms. The heat was 
almost insufferable, so much so that we were obliged 
frequently to anchor in order to keep the men from 
being exposed to the intensity of the sun's rays ; and 
incredible as it may appear, nevertheless, 1 have known 
Fahrenheit's thermometer to range from 100 to t05 
degrees in the shade. Nine days elapsed before we 
got clear of the straits, and then our troubles com- 
. menced ; eight of the crew were attacked with fever 
and dysentery, and the remainder of as were much de- 
bilitated and weakened, which is always the case with 
northern constitutions by long exposure to the heat in 
tropical climates. Nor did I escape from that terrible 
malady, the dysentery, which reduced me nearly to the 
last stage of life ; and although every means proved in- 
effectual for restoration which kindness and medical 
treatment could suggest, 1 was at last relieved by a very 
simple remedy, proposed by the generous hearted Jack 
Saunders, before mentioned. Thirty-seven days passed 
away without any material alteration in the health of 
the crew, and it became necessary for the safety of the 
ship and the lives of our men to put in to some port ; 
it was therefore decided by Capt. R. to go into Table 
Bay, Cape of Good Hope. 

On the 8th of February, 1818, the carpenter, who 
had lingered until this time with dysentery, expired. 
This circumstance produced universal gloom through- 
out the ship, particularly as there were seven others, 
who lay at the point of death. Fortunately, however, 
for us, the wind was fair, and on the 13th we made the 
Cape, and entered Table Bay on the 14th, where we 
anchored in twelve fathoms water, one and a half miles 
from the shore. 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 285 

It may be remarked that vessels can only ride with 
safety in this bay during the summer months, which cor- 
respond to our winter, as the winds usually blow from 
the north-west at this place in the winter season. These 
winds having the whole sweep of the south Atlantic 
ocean, cause the sea to run so heavily, that anchors 
and cables are of no use whatever. In these months, 
vessels harbour in False Bay, however, even in the 
summer months, the violence of the south-east winds 
is so great, notwithstanding they blow off shore, that 
vessels are obliged to ride with all their yards and top- 
masts struck and every anchor ahead. 

As soon as we got our ship snug, the sick were all 
taken on shore, placed in comfortable quarters, and the 
best treatment and medical advice were procured for 
them. In about a week they were all pronounced to be 
out of danger. The Cape of Good Hope no doubt may 
be considered as wholesome a climate as any part of the 
world. As Cape Town is situated on a considerable 
eminence, and the adjacent country being mountainous, 
consequently the air is very pure, and the atmosphere 
salubrious. The town is remarkable for its cleanliness ; 
the streets are wide, and although the buildings are 
neither large nor magnificent, yet they immediately im- 
press the traveller with the idea of neatness and comfort. 
At the precincts of the town on the eastern part is situated 
the company's garden, the size of which is about four 
square miles, and constructed in the most tasteful and 
fanciful maimer, after the Chinese style. At the ex- 
treme end of these gardens is a menagerie of nearly all 
descriptions of wild animals found in Asia and Africa ; 
the most singular of those which I saw was an ourang- 
outang, measuring six feet four inches in height, when 
erect. The vineyards are large and flourishing; the 
grape is cultivated to great perfection, from which is 
extracted wines in great abundance, it being almost the 
only article which is exported from the Cape. A most 
singular phenomenon exists respecting these vineyards, 
or those called the Constantia vineyards — the grape 
25 



286 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

of which produces a very rich and delicate wine, and 
are only two in number, — it seems that no other spot 
(even if the Constantia vine is transplanted) in the 
Cape colony will produce the Constantia grape and yield 
therefrom the same kind of wine. It has been ascer- 
tained that by transplanting the vine, it will entirely 
degenerate into the ordinary kind of grape. Refresh- 
ments of all kinds may be had here, and in great abun- 
dance, especially beef and mutton ; the latter may be 
purchased at low rates, and forms the principal article 
of live stock for shipping ; here, too, perhaps is the finest 
fresh water in the world. All these advantages con- 
sidered, it must be conceded that this port is among the 
best in these seas for homeward bound East Indiamen 
to refresh and renovate a relaxed and debilitated crew. 
We remained here eighteen days, at the expiration of 
which period our men being all convalescent were 
taken on board. 

On the morning of the 5th March, weighed anchor, 
made all sail and stood to sea with a fine south-east 
trade wind. Having supplied the ship with plenty of 
fresh stock and vegetables, and the weather being ex- 
ceedingly fine, it was not long before the crew were 
restored to their usual health and strength. Having 
mentioned in a previous part of this narrative on a 
former voyage, the uninterrupted steadiness of the winds 
and weather, 1 will here merely state that for twenty- 
five successive days the wind continued to blow steadily 
at south-east, so that we carried studding-sails on both 
sides during the whole of this period, and crossed the 
equinoctial line the 26th day from the Cape in 22° west 
longitude. 

Nothing material transpired during *our run across 
the north-east trade winds, until we arrived at the 34° 
north latitude, and then had the winds variable, gene- 
rally from the westward, until we reached the British 
channel ; where we took a strong eastwardly gale, which 
continued to blow with unremitting violence for thir- 
teen days, when it abated, and we took an English pilot 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 287 

for the North sea, and in three days arrived at the port 
of Amsterdam. 

June 10, 1818. — We immediately commenced dis- 
charging cargo, which was completed in about ten 
days, and ascertained to our great satisfaction that the 
ship would make a splendid voyage for the owners. 

This being the port of discharge, according to the 
articles of agreement, the crew were entitled to their 
discharge and wages \ they all agreed, however, to go 
home in the ship, provided they could have a week's 
liberty and their full amount of wages. Up to this 
period they had conducted with great propriety, and 
perhaps they were under as good discipline as merchant 
vessels generally are ; and as 1 felt an unusual interest 
for them in view of their good conduct, especially for 
Jack Saunders, I endeavoured to persuade them to re- 
main on board, well knowing that in such a place as 
the Helder, if they were in possession of their wages, 
they would probably get rid of the whole before we left 
the port. My persuasion, proved ineffectual ; they per- 
sisted in their exactions, and of course there was no 
other alternative, but to pay them off and give them 
their desired liberty. It fell to my lot to be paymaster. 
Each one of them had from one hundred and twenty to 
one hundred and fifty dollars due him. When Jack 
Saunders' turn came, I felt particularly anxious to retain 
one hundred dollars of his money, being assured if he 
once got on a cruise such was the generosity of his 
nature, that he would be quickly relieved of his store of 
cash. It was of no avail, however, and off they all 
started for a cruise. This was about 11 o'clock. The 
next day, 1 perceived poor Jack Saunders about half 
seas over — rolling down the dike toward the ship. It 
was with difficulty he got alongside, being so drunk ; 
and with the help of the cook and steward, he was 
hoisted in and placed in his berth, where he slept for 
nearly eighteen hours. A more ludicrous figure I never 
saw, and a more improvident sailor never existed. It 
seems, immediately after he was paid off he repaired to 



288 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

the shop of a Jew, and purchased a complete suit from 
head to foot, for which he paid a most exorbitant price. 
The hat was of the most ordinary kind, and the clothes, 
as a sailor would say, was made of Nantucket broad 
cloth, viz. three threads to an arm-full. The remaining 
part of his dress was nearly of the same description. 
To crown the whole, he purchased of this villainous 
Jew a pinchbeck watch, for which he paid twenty 
dollars which in reality was not worth two. To this 
watch was attached a chain about a foot in length made 
of coarse black hair, at the end of which was a key, not 
for the purpose of winding the watch, but actually a 
door key ; and as a finish to this beautiful collection 
of symmetrical proportions, connected with the key was 
a large rough cornelian stone, which served as a seal. 
His next step was, to hire a dance-house exclusively 
for himself, ready furnished with some half dozen girls, 
two fiddlers and a bar-room par excellence. The re- 
mainder of the narration I received from poor Jack. It 
seems that after carousing the whole night, he was not 
only bamboozled out of all of his money, but in the 
morning he was very unceremoniously kicked out of 
doors. Making his way to the ship as well as he could, 
he fell into a mud puddle and lay there, until he was 
helped out of the difficulty by two men, who placed 
him on the dike where I first saw him bending his 
way towards the ship. His hat was much crushed, and 
as a sailor would say, "was full of cable tier pinches ;" 
his clothes were mud from top to bottom, and not hav- 
ing any suspenders on, the bite of his shirt stuck out 
about four inches between the trowsers and jacket. 
The immense long watch chain hung dangling nearly 
down to his knees ; altogether poor Jack was com- 
pletely metamorphosed. When he turned out in the 
morning I inquired of him how he felt after his carouse. 

"Pretty light, sir," replied Jie, slapping his pockets, 
"for they have eased me of all my whack." 

"What!" replied I, "all gone?" 

"Not quite," returned he, "I've got something to 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 289 

show for it;" pulling out his watch with the copious 
trappings attached thereto, and handing it to me saying, 
"a pretty little time-keeper, sir." I examined the watch, 
and the result was that the case was made out of a 
piece of stout tin washed over, and the internal works 
bore a pretty strong resemblance to the case. 

In three days the men were all on board, and with 
the exception of two, they had all spent their wages, 
but unlike my protege, Jack, they had nothing to show 
for it. I have been thus particular in noting this oc- 
currence in full, to show the improvidence of sailors, 
and to show that very little can be effected to advance 
their moral character, unless they can be impressed 
with the absolute necessity of total abstinence from all 
intoxicating drinks. 

June 25. — The ship being now ballasted and ready 
for sea, advantage was taken of an eastwardly wind. 
We cast off from the Helder and proceeded once more 
through the "kyk down" channel, on our homeward 
passage to Baltimore. We had a fine wind, through 
the North sea and down the English channel, and on 
the morning of the first of July, took our departure from 
the Lizard light, it bearing north-east and by east, five 
leagues distant. At meridian the island of Great Britain 
had the appearance of an irregular dotted line upon the 
wide surface of the ocean ; and at sunset, the blue 
speck, which had claimed our attention for some hours 
past had sunk in the distance, and once more we were 
rolling over the broad Atlantic toward our native land. 
Order and regularity being again restored, I embraced 
a favourable moment to present to the minds of the 
crew the evil consequence of improvidence, as well as 
the indulgence of that worst of all practices, viz. the 
inordinate use of ardent spirits. I pointed out to them 
the ruin that must inevitably ensue to soul and body 
by persisting in its use; and by appealing to their 
present condition, I showed them that after nearly a 
year and a half of toil and privation, they were returning 
home penniless, and all for the single gratification of 
25* 



290 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

what they called the pleasures of a cruise ; the sum to- 
tal of which was combined in swilling grog to drunk- 
enness. The force of these appeals seemed to make a 
deep impression, and the fact staring them in the face 
of returning to the United States after so long an 
absence without means, and that they would neces- 
sarily be obliged to embark speedily again, was a source 
of mortification, which sometimes wrought them up 
almost to a pitch of frenzy and madness. I had abun- 
dant reason to believe, however, that this was a salutary 
lesson, as most of them having seen their error, assured 
me they had sworn off forever from drinking liquor. 
How far these resolutions were kept after they got on 
shore, I know not, but while on board they were true 
to their promise. 

We had a fine run across the Atlantic with uniformly 
good weather, and on the sixth of August 1818, took a 
pilot on board and entered the Chesapeake Bay. The 
wind being fresh from the southward we had a fine 
run up, and on the 8th once more let go our anchor in 
the port of Baltimore. 



CHAPTER XXVI. 

MARRIAGE— TAKES COMMAND OF THE SHIP WILLIAM — VOYAGE 
TO LISBON HEAVY GALES. 

I was once more on terra firaia, surrounded by my 
friends, and her. to whom my vows were plighted, and 
with whom 1 expected shortly to be united in the holy 
bonds of matrimony. To this event I looked forward 
with unmingled feelings of pleasure, with those delight- 
ful anticipations of enjoying that happiness which is 
only consequent upon domestic and connubial life. 
No obstacle now presented itself to prevent its consum- 
mation, on the contrary, I had reached the acme of my 
profession, having been appointed to the command of the 
ship in which I last sailed. And my pecuniary cir- 
cumstances and prospects were such as to justify the 
important step which I was about to take. Considera- 
tions of this nature induced me to hasten the period of 
our nuptials, as the ship to which I had been appointed 
was already taking in cargo, and was destined to sail in 
the course of two weeks. Accordingly, as no objections 
were raised, the marriage ceremony was performed on 
the 18th day of August, 1818. 

I had now entered upon a new course of life, conse- 
quently obligations and responsibilities multiplied with 
the change, and although I was in possession of all 
that happiness which I had long contemplated, yet a 
shade of gloom would often pass across my mind at the 
idea of being so soon separated from the object who 
was as dear to me as life itself. Then again the pre- 
cariousness of a seaman's life with its constant exposure, 
produced a feeling very opposite to that buoyancy of 



292 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

spirit which had so strongly marked my character, 
when embarking on former voyages ; however, that 
moral feeling which had of late gathered around my 
character, now excited me to action and diligence ; be- 
lieving that I saw my accumulated responsibility in its 
proper light, it was a new motive to stimulate my ex- 
ertions, in order to sustain with becoming respect the 
domestic and social relations of life. With these views, 
therefore, I cheerfully renewed my engagements, and 
entered upon the duties of my new station as com- 
mander of the ship William. 

On the 30th of August, she had completed taking in 
cargo, and was ready for sea; and on the 1st of Sep- 
tember, after exchanging painful adieus, under feelings 
that can be better imagined than I can possibly de- 
scribe them, I hastened with tremulous steps on board 
the ship, and the wind being fair, in a very few minutes 
we were under a press of canvas, standing down the 
river. 

I shall forbear entering into a tedious detail in refe- 
rence to the duties connected with a ship on leaving 
port, as it has been often described in the foregoing part 
of this work. Being now invested with the entire con- 
trol and management of this ship, and as I had seen 
the good effects produced by a course of mild and kind 
treatment, connected with an unrelaxed state of disci- 
pline, to the sailors by Capt. R. on the last voyage, I 
determined to shape my course in future in a similar 
way. As soon therefore, as the usual duties were over 
on leaving the land, such as clearing the decks, setting 
the watch, &c. a set of rules and regulations were drawn 
up and given to the crew, prohibiting all profane lan- 
guage, fighting, or wrangling; no unnecessary work 
to be done on Sabbath days ; and that in the room 
of the usual allowance of ardent spirits, they were 
to have coffee, tea and sugar ; they were also to have 
the forenoon watch below at all times, and watch and 
watch in bad weather, and Saturday was allowed for 
washing and repairing their clothes, <fcc. Implicit obe- 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 293 

dience to the commands of the officers would at all 
times be required. Every feature of these rules seemed 
to be well received by the crew, with the exception of 
the grog ; they chose rather to relinquish the coffee, tea, 
<fec. than have their allowance of spirits withheld ; to 
this I assented, well knowing that to deprive a sailor of 
his allowance of grog by coercive measures, would not 
only prove the intended effect abortive, but would also 
be a source of grumbling and perhaps mutinous conduct 
during the voyage. 

In the first part of this passage a little difficulty was 
encountered to restrain the seamen from the use of pro- 
fane language, owing principally, however, to the fact, 
that a pernicious example was set them, by the officers. 
By frequent appeals, however, to their moral feelings, 
and strict adherence to the undeviating course adopted 
in this respect, its use was soon banished from the 
ship. 

This being the month when the sun crosses the au- 
tumnal equinox, we had a constant succession of heavy 
squalls and gales since our departure from Cape Henry ; 
and as the ship was deeply laden with corn almost be- 
yond her bearings, every seaman will know that she 
mrfst have been laboursome and very uneasy. On the 
morning of the 24th of September, the weather was 
dark and cloudy, and it blew a gale from south-south- 
west, with a heavy rolling sea. The top-gallant yards 
were sent down and well secured on deck, the topsails 
were close reefed and the mizzen-topsail,jib,and spanker 
were furled. At 4 p. m. the gale increased with heavy 
showers of rain, attended with severe thunder and 
lightning. At this time the fore-topsail was furled and 
the foresail reefed, and the ship was brought to the wind 
on the starboard tack ; before night the appearance of 
the elements was awful in the extreme, heavy dense 
black clouds rose up to the northward, and were driven 
furiously along until they met with the impetuous south- 
east scud, when the frightful concussion broke upon the 
ear with peal on peal of roaring thunder, while the light- 



294 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

ning's horrid glare played around the masts and rigging, 
and, as if impelled by some demon of destruction, threat- 
ened to envelope tHe noble ship in one vast sheet of 
flame. While memory holds its empire, I shall never 
forget that night. At midnight wore round on the lar- 
board tack, furled the main-topsail and foresail and set 
the storm-staysails. Such was the deafening roar of 
the elements, the bellowing thunder and the terrific 
blasts of wind, which ever and anon came howling o'er 
the angry deep, that it was impossible to be heard with 
a speaking trumpet half the length of the ship. At 1 
a. m. the dense pile of black clouds lifted their enormous 
masses from the horizon from north to west, presenting 
a long streak of clear blue sky ; at the same moment 
was heard a heavy roaring peal of thunder attended by 
a sharp flash of lightning, then came the sudden and 
awful change of wind from north-north-west. 

The gale struck the ship with furious blast and threw 
her down, two feet of her main deck being under water. 
To add to the horror of this awful scene, the forward 
bulkhead broke away below the lower deck beams, 
which drove the immense body of corn into the fore- 
peak, at the same time the planks which formed the 
casings of the pumps started from the joists to which 
they were confined by spikes, and the corn found its 
way into the pump well, which was soon filled up as 
far as between decks. The violence too of the first 
blast, split the mizzen-staysail, and it blew from the 
bolt-rope. The only sails she now had on her, were 
the fore and main-staysails ; consequently having no 
after sail she fell off and brought the sea a-beam. For- 
tunately, however, the wind had not blown sufficiently 
long to make a dangerous sea. It was nevertheless a 
perilous situation, and it became absolutely necessary 
for the safety of the ship either to take in the fore-top- 
mast staysail, or to get tarpaulins in the mizzen rigging 
so as to keep her up to the wind. We were soon, 
however, relieved from the necessity of taking in the 
staysails, for at this moment, on came a terrific gust of 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 295 

wind, and the staysails were blown to pieces. The 
ship being now somewhat eased from the pressure of 
the canvas, righted so far as to bring her deck out of 
water. The tarpaulins were accordingly secured in the 
mizzen rigging, and with this she lay for a short time 
comparatively well. But when the morning light broke 
forth, the gale as if with maddening fury seemed to re- 
double its violence. No longer was the ship capable of 
resistance, and it became absolutely necessary for her 
safety and the lives of the crew, to get her before the 
wind. This was the mo^e unavoidable as she strained 
exceedingly in her upper works, and was now leaking 
to a considerable degree ; imperious necessity therefore 
demanded that some plan should be executed to get the 
corn from out of the pump well, so that we might work 
them and free the ship. The sea had risen to an alarm- 
ing height, and every seaman will know the danger of 
keeping the ship off in such a moment as this. It was, 
however, the only alternative. Four men were sent on 
the fore-yard to slacken down the gaskets of the^clew 
of the foresail, and two men were sent in the mizzen 
rigging to cut away the tarpaulins. All being now 
ready, the starboard head braces were hauled in, and 
the after yards squared ; the helm then was put to 
weather, the fore-tack was bowsed taut, and the tar- 
paulins were cut away. For a moment the ship shook 
violently, but presently she began to fall off. When 
about four points from the wind, a heavy sea came 
rolling on with frightful rapidity. The vessel could 
not clear it. I saw an awful crisis at hand, and shout- 
ed for every man to secure himself as best he could. 
The immense weight of water fell on board, knocking 
the launch out of the chocks, and sweeping away spars, 
water casks, and the starboard bulwarks from the gang 
way to the fore rigging. She was now before the wind, 
and like an impatient steed when checked, was now 
dashing along at the rate of ten knots, sometimes 
careening on the top of a mountain wave, and then 
plunging into the fearful abyss which threatened to swal- 



296 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

low her up in its merciless chasms of whirling commo- 
tion. Four hours of extreme peril and intense anxiety 
passed away, and not till the sun had crossed its 
meridian, did the gust become less violent. At 3 p. m. 
it moderated, and the gale though severe was not dan- 
gerous, as the sea became regular and following. 

Thus far it had been impossible to do any thing in 
reference to getting the corn from the pump well. A 
baracado was now erected and the pumps were hoisted 
out, then one man was lowered down with a sack by a 
girtline from the main-top. TJie sack was filled with 
corn, then drawn up, again let down, and so on in this 
way we continued to clear the pump well ; but the 
progress was necessarily slow. The leak was soon 
discovered and stopped, and at the expiration of seven 
hours the well was entirely cleared, the pumps were 
lowered into their places, and the ship was pumped out, 
having made but two feet and a half of water during 
the whole of the gale. 

The next object was to secure the forward bulkhead ; 
this labour, however, was deferred until the next morn- 
ing, when the gale had moderated sufficiently, so as to 
get sail enough on the ship to keep her steady. The 
bulkhead was secured as strongly as practicable, and 
the severe disasters which we had received, were now 
repaired ; but the loss of the corn which had been 
pumped out, and the balance having shifted, it gave the 
ship nearly four streaks list to starboard. So that when 
we arrived in Lisbon, she was as much careened as 
when carrying sail in a hard gale. I had no reason to 
regret having established the course of treatment and 
regulations with the crew, which have been stated at 
the commencement of this voyage ; on the contrary, 
every man did his duty cheerfully and in a seaman-like 
manner, and had it not been for the ability and exer- 
tions of the seamen, the ship could not have been saved. 

October 6. — Came to an anchor abreast of Belham 
castle, the place appointed for vessels subject to quaran- 
tine restrictions ; and as our ship was of that number, of 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 297 

course we had to comply with the existing laws, which 
were more rigid with vessels laden with grain, because 
the importation of this article was much greater from 
the Mediterranean than from all other ports. To this 
fear of the plague and other contagious diseases so pre- 
valent among the Mediterranean islands, being introdu- 
ced, may be attributed the strict regulations alluded to. 
We were not permitted to send the letter-bag on shore, 
until three days after our arrival, and even then the 
letters underwent a most ridiculous process before they 
were delivered to their respective owners. After all the 
whole modus operandi of executing these regulations was 
a mere farce ; for instance, grain seems to be the great 
bugbear, nevertheless it is landed and taken up to the 
city immediately after its arrival, thereby incurring all 
the risk their obnoxious laws endeavour to prevent; 
and it would appear, therefore, that this perplexing 
delay, is intended mainly to make additional expense. 

Nothing worthy of note transpired during our stay. 
The corn was all discharged while in quarantine, and 
after a tedious delay of thirty days, the ship was per- 
mitted to go up to Lisbon, where we remained ten days, 
and took in a cargo of wines and salt. 

November IT.— -We took advantage of the tide, and 
the wind being fair, got under way, made sail and stood 
down the river. At 2 p. m. discharged the pilot, stowed 
the anchors, unbent the cables, coiled them down below, 
and executed such other work as is usual when ves- 
sels leave port. At sunset the rock of Lisbon bore east- 
north-east, distant ten leagues ; and as the dusk of 
evening closed in, the only visible appearance was a 
long dark blue line upon the surface of the ocean, 
stretching north and south as far as the extent of 
vision. I determined to make the southern passage, 
believing it could be effected in less time and at much 
less risk in the wear and tear of the ship, and also 
much more to the comfort of the passengers and crew. 
Accordingly we kept away to the southward, to reach as 
quickly as possible the limits of the north-east trade 
26 



298 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

winds. The moon this night rose with unusual bril- 
liancy, and occasionally might be seen a bright star or 
planet in the azure vault above ; the wind was fair, and 
the sea smooth, and the ship was running along at the 
rate of eight knots, with studding-sails set below and 
aloft. It reminded me of one of those beautiful nights 
in the Pacific Ocean, described in the foregoing part 
of this work, when I was before the mast, and when 
too, my old messmate, Jack Sawyer and myself spun 
out many long yarns in the foretop. Nearly ten years 
had rolled away since that period, but the exciting 
scenes and the many happy hours of that voyage will 
long live in my memory. How different was now my 
situation ; I had passed through the various gradations 
of a sea-life, and was now the commander of a fine 
ship ; and yet it would be difficult to say which was 
the happier period of my life. Now yon moon shone 
as resplendently, yet the sight did not produce those 
exquisite feelings of pleasure and gratification, that it 
had done on my first voyage when a boy. The ship 
too was now bounding over the trackless deep like 
some creature possessed of life and animation, present- 
ing one of the most magnificent sights in creation, 
and yet even this had lost much of its interest ; and 
although being homeward bound, which to a sailor is 
always a source of pleasure, song and merriment, yet to 
me it was measurably lost, because of the important 
trust and accumulated responsibility with which I was 
now surrounded. 

Although that buoyancy of spirit consequent upon 
youthful ambition had passed away, yet the more staid 
and energetic firmness of capability had taken its place ; 
and I felt a degree of pride in the reflection that it was 
so, and notwithstanding the deep responsibility invested 
in me, that it should even produce greater anxiety in 
regard to the duties which fell to my lot; another and 
greater source of happiness was, that steady enterprise 
and perseverance would one day place me in a condi- 
tion to be enabled to relinquish the hardships of a sea- 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 299 

life, and enjoy alt those social and domestic comforts, 
which are only to be found in the endearments of home 
and society. 

November 23. — Saw the island of Madeira, 3nd as we 
ranged up towards the centre of the fore-ground, the 
wind being off shore, we enjoyed the balmy odours of 
its fragrant trees and flowers, which were sent off by 
the sweeping land breeze. The weather was unusually 
fine, the wind fair, the sea smooth, which together with 
the delicious odours from the land, conspired to make up 
one of those delightful days at sea, tending to produce 
a kind of forgetfulness of its perils and its hardships. 
At sunset the island bore north-east twelve leagues 
distant, from which we took our departure and soon 
reached the parallel of 26° degrees north. As we ex- 
perienced a fine north-east trade wind, I chose this 
latitude to run down the westing. Nothing worthy of 
note or comment transpired to intercept the monotony, 
which is usual on ship-board when a long series of fair 
winds pre vail. 

December 19. — Being in the longitude of 66° degrees 
west, we hauled to the northward, and soon perceived 
strong indications of change in the climate. The 
weather now became squally with frequent gales. On 
the 27th crossed the stream, and as the wind blew a 
severe gale from the north-east, the ship was hove to on 
the starboard tack, when she was judged to be inside 
of the gulf. This was a fortunate circumstance, as the 
gale blew with incredible fury for twenty-four hours, 
so that the ship was driven by its violence to within 
twelve miles of Cape Hatteras shoals, when the gale 
broke. 

On the 30th of December, being in ten fathoms of 
water, off Cape Charles, the wind again blew a heavy 
gale from the north-east, and no alternative was left but 
to try to run the ship into the Chesapeake Bay at the risk 
of being driven on a lee shore and lose the vessel; for 
no pilot had come on board, although lights had been 
hoisted and guns fired during the whole of the preced- 



300 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

ing night to attract their notice. The position of the 
ship was now critical. It blew a hard gale, the rain 
fell in torrents, and nothing could be seen ten yards 
from the deck ; and to add to this perilous situation, we 
had only nine fathoms of water. Just at this moment 
Providence favoured us ; the rain ceased, the mist broke 
away, and we caught a glimpse of Smith's Island. It 
was indeed but a glimpse, for it immediately shut in 
thick again, but it was enough for our purpose. Close 
reefed topsails were put on the ship, and I shaped a 
course from the bearings of the island to cross the tail 
of the middle ground in five fathoms of water. Here 
again I experienced the great benefit arising from kind 
treatment to a ship's crew. This was an hour that re- 
quired all the firmness, seamanship and activity a crew 
could muster to their aid, and I can safely say, with 
ours there was no flinching ; for every man did his 
duty with alacrity and in a seaman-like manner. In 
about thirty minutes, I found all was right ; the sound- 
ings indicated our approach to the middle ground, and 
presently we struck bottom in five fathoms as contem- 
plated by the bearings of the island. In a short time 
the heavy mist which had obscured the view from all 
surrounding objects cleared away, and Cape Henry 
light-house was seen directly ahead ; still no pilot boat 
was visible, and as it continued to blow hard, of course 
the greatest anxiety prevailed throughout the ship. In 
this critical juncture, I determined to hazard the risk 
of running her into Hampton Roads ; fortunately, how- 
ever, when the regular soundings on the shore were 
obtained, a pilot boat was discovered coming down the 
bay. In a few minutes to our great relief, we received 
a pilot on board, and run the ship into the Roads and 
anchored. The next morning at daylight, got under 
way and stood up the bay with a fine breeze from the 
southward, and on the 4th of January, 1819, anchored 
in the harbor of Baltimore, making the passage in forty- 
eight days from Xisbon. 



CHAPTER, XXYII. 



VOYAGE TO BATAVIA BURIAL AT SEA. 

The strong and powerful feelings consequent upon 
the meeting of near and very dear friends, after a sepa- 
ration of nearly four months, being over, I not only en- 
joyed the quiet repose of home, but also the society of 
her who was now the companion of my life and fortunes. 
Though much separation would of course be our lot, 
from the nature of my avocation, yet there was now an 
object in whom I could repose with perfect confidence, 
and also unite in those sympathetic feelings so dear to 
the human heart. 

Never during the whole period of my life, did time 
pass so happily, and I may say so rationally, as the pre- 
sent respite from the toils upon the ocean. No cloud 
presented its dark shadow, no sorrow gave a shade of 
gloom, and no blighting disease laid its withering spell 
on our cheerful hearth-side, to mar the bliss of social in- 
tercourse and mutual love. These were halcyon days 
swiftly passing on the wheels of time, destined shortly, 
however, to be interrupted. It was about this period 
that I assumed the command of the ship Edward, be- 
longing to the same owners. 

Two months and a half having gone by almost im- 
perceptibly, the ship to which I had been transferred 
was once more completely fitted out for an East India 
voyage. The duties of supercargo being committed to 
my charge, created an amount of responsibility which 
never had before fallen to my lot, and the importance of 
the trust was a source of considerable anxiety to me. 
26* 



302 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

Here too was a voyage before me of not less than one 
year, subject not only to the perils of the sea, but also to 
the pestilences of the torrid zone ; for it must be known 
that I was once more bound to Batavia. 

On the 20th of March, specie amounting to one hun- 
dred and forty thousand dollars, was taken on board, 
and every thing being in complete readiness, I bade 
adieu to my companion and friends, and once more 
found my way to the quarter deck of a gallant ship. 
The wind being fair, in a few minutes the well-known 
song at the windlass was heard and then the hoarse 
voice of the first officer calling out a the anchor is shorl 
apeak, sir— lay aloft fore and aft, and loose the topsails and 
top-gallant sails." These orders were quickly obeyed. 
The sails were sheeted home, and hoisted to the mast- 
head, and the yards were braced so as to cant the ship's 
head to starboard. And again the long drawn song was 
heard at the windlass, the anchor was rapidly hove up to 
the bows, a'nd in a few minutes our gallant ship was 
standing down the river under a press of canvas. It was 
one of those peculiarly bland days, which frequently 
marks the premature advance of spring, but which at 
the same time is the precursor of a coming storm. The 
day was clear and the gentle south-western breeze 
brought with it the mildness of latter spring ; these to- 
gether with the genial warmth of the sun, produced an 
unusual degree of heat for this period of the season ; 
nor was the foliage and verdure unmindful of this pre- 
mature warmth, for on either side of the river might be 
seen the springing bud of various hues swelling out ; and 
grassy plains spreading forth their delightful green, on all 
of which the eye might rest unwearied with pleasure. 
These sights along the river's bank afforded to the 
mind a relief which tended to dissipate a part of the 
gloom induced by the certainty of a year's absence. 
And yet this was but a transient respite. Every pass- 
ing object, the numerous craft and jolly boatmen with 
light hearts and cheerful song, plying gaily towards a 
much cherished home, from which we were now fast 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 303 

receding, called up more strongly the pangs of separa- 
tion. Nought could now be seen by keen affection's 
glance of that home which but three hours ago we left, 
except a dark blue spot, and even that perhaps, was but 
a fantasy of a highly wrought imagination. On coursed 
the gallant bark, nor heeded sighs, nor tears, nor senti- 
mental pangs, as the increasing breeze swelled the 
white canvas, and impelled her more rapidly down the 
Chesapeake Bay. Blow on ye winds, nor slacken your 
force, nor alter your course, until half this round world 
is circled and our barque is safely moored off Java's 
spicy isle. In thirty hours we reached Cape Henry, and 
although the weather was thick and threatening, with 
light northerly winds, yet the pilot was discharged and 
we stood to sea. 

On the 22d of March, at sunset, heavy clouds rose up 
from the north-west and gave strong indications of a 
shift of wind. Every sail was furled except the close 
reefed fore-topsail. It was fortunate for us that we took, 
this precaution, as the heavy north-wester struck us at 
9 p. m. and blew with great violence for thirty-six hours, 
carrying us to the eastward of the gulf stream. 

March 25. — This was a black day in our calendar. 
One of the young seamen while in the act of loosing the 
main-top-gallantsail fell on the main deck, dislocated his 
shoulder, cut his head and mouth, and was so much 
bruised that he did not speak for eleven days ; but by 
great care and attention, in three weeks his bodily 
health was perfectly restored. This was but the com- 
mencement of our troubles on this voyage. My first 
officer, although a good sailor, was a man of no charac- 
ter whatever, therefore, he could neither be made a con- 
fident or companion of. The second officer, although a 
young man of good education, was neither sailor nor 
officer, consequently was unfit for the berth. The crew 
which consisted of six able seamen and four apprentices, 
all nearly equal to able-bodied men, were very refrac- 
tory ; two of them having been old man-of-war's men. 
The cook and steward were both good colored men. 



304 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

Of course, it may be supposed that with a crew and offi- 
cers of the above description, it required no little firm- 
ness and decision of purpose to establish and maintain 
a good state of discipline ; and indeed this was not 
thoroughly accomplished until the homeward bound 
passage ; it was then effected through the agency of 
sickness and death, as will be hereafter stated. Although 
every privilege was allowed, consistent with the duties 
of the ship, and although every care was taken with re- 
gard to their food and diet, as well as to the comfort and 
cleanliness of the forecastle ; and further, no man was 
allowed to be called out of his name, yet notwithstand- 
ing all these regulations and care to their welfare, there 
were some of the sailors who never manifested anything 
else but the basest ingratitude. After this the ship was 
exceedingly laborsome, steered badly, and scarcely a 
day passed in heavy weather that a spar or some of the 
rigging was not carried away. After a passage of one 
hundred and four days we arrived in Batavia and an- 
chored in the roads. Here were a number of American 
as well as other vessels waiting for cargoes. As soon as 
the necessary precautions were taken, such as getting 
awnings fore and aft the ship, sending down the yards, 
masts, rigging, &c. so as to screen the sailors from the 
heat of the sun while at work, I repaired to the shore 
and procured a crew of Malays to man the boat ; a pro- 
ceeding always necessary for the preservation of the 
health of our men in Batavia. It is customary for mas- 
ters and supercargoes to take up their residences about 
three miles in the country ; this is done for the preser- 
vation of health, and is attended with but little extra 
expense, for every person doing business is necessarily 
obliged, from the intense heat, to have a carriage always 
at his command. 

From the captain of a Newburyport ship, 1 learned 
that Mr. P. my, mate, had sailed with him on the last 
voyage, and that he had been detected in embezzling 
the cargo as well as guilty of forgery. It was necessary, 
therefore, as there was no alternative but to keep him, 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 305 

to use great precaution, and keep a good look-out up- 
on his conduct. Consequently, I took a memorandum 
of all my provisions, stores, &c. and obliged him to ren- 
der a strict account of all the expenditures, and when- 
ever the least particle of any portion of the cargo was 
sent off, a receipt for the same was always required. In 
this way I managed to keep him tolerably honest. We 
lay here nearly two months and a half. The crew with 
the exception of one man, who was placed in the hospi- 
tal, were kept in good health. I had completed the pur- 
chases and shipping of the cargo, and the ship was now 
ready to proceed on her homeward bound passage ; but 
as the seaman who had been sent to the hospital was 
considered dangerously ill, another was shipped in his 
place. 

On the 23d of September, 1819, we got under way 
from Batavia roads and stood down the Straits of Sunda. 
In passing Anjer roads we were boarded by a boat be- 
longing to the United States Frigate Constellation, 
which lay to an anchor in the roads. From her we re- 
ceived despatches as well as many hearty good wishes 
for our safe and speedy passage. The weather now be- 
came very squally, and we did not succeed in getting 
clear of the Straits until the 28th, and thus our troubles 
had not only commenced but from this time they began 
to multiply upon us. We had no sooner succeeded in 
gaining an offing from the Straits than four of the best 
seamen were taken down with fever and dysentery. 
The remainder of the crew were otherwise much debili- 
tated and weakened from the excessive heat always pe- 
culiar to these climes. Day after day rolled away with- 
out any material alteration, except that one and another 
were alternately struck down with disease. We had 
succeeded in reaching the length of the east end of 
Madagascar, when our condition as regarded the health 
and strength of the crew was truly deplorable ; they 
were all completely overcome, and I shall not forget a 
scene which took place on a beautiful moonlight night, 
about this period. The ship was running along at the 



306 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

rate of seven knots, with studding-sails set below and 
aloft ; nought was to be seen save a brilliant moon per- 
forming slowly and silently her majestic rounds, with 
here and there a bright star or planet, which seemed to 
vie with each other in sparkling refulgence ; and the 
blue sky which appeared to meet and kiss the fathom- 
less waters ; not a sound was heard except the dashing 
foam on the ship's bows as she bounded o'er the wave, 
or the low tones of the debilitated seamen on the fore- 
castle, recounting some ghostly tale or bewailing the 
condition of their sick shipmates. It was a moment 
when every other thought and reflection was hushed 
and absorbed with the sublimity and grandeur of the 
whole scene. Looking upward and around I neither 
saw, felt nor contemplated anything but the power and 
immensity of God. A solemn stillness pervaded the 
ship, interrupted only at intervals by the low groans of 
the sick and the dying, for the life of poor Jack Brown — 
and a better or truer sailor never handled a marlin- 
spike — was fast ebbing away. I had exerted all my 
skill in the administering of remedies, and every possi- 
ble care was taken of him, as well as the others, but his 
strength had sunk under a violent dysentery. At eight 
p. m. I repaired to the forecastle as usual, to bestow 
some little kindnesses and nourishment to the sick. I 
found poor Jack with his face towards the side of the 
ship, breathing hard. 

"How do you do now, Jack?" said I. With great 
difficulty and with my assistance he turned his face 
toward me, and after the fatigue occasioned by this 
exertion, he said in a low hollow voice — 

"Captain, I am a dying man;" and after another 
strong effort he continued— "I have a mother now liv- 
ing in England, God bless her! I have been a sad 
fellow, sir — she taught me to read the Bible, and say 
my prayers, and gave me much good advice ; and she 
often would say to me, don't forget the advice of her 
who never forgets to pray for you." 

Here the big tears chased each other in rapid succes- 
sion from the dying eyes of poor Jack. 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 307 

"Oh my mother," exclaimed he, "could thy dying 
son live but to make amends for all the pain and 
suffering he has given thee ! Oh could I but receive a 
mother's blessing before I die !" 

Nature at this moment gave way and he sunk ex- 
hausted on the pillow, under the great effort he had 
made. The scene was too much for me ; I found the 
muscles of my face and especially my eyes relaxing, 
and involuntarily turning away from the berth, would 
have given him some spiritual consolation, but alas I 
was not at that period competent to do so. After a 
pause of a few minutes he recovered himself, and 
beckoned me again to his side. Putting my ear near 
to his mouth, he begged in a low tremulous tone, to be 
placed underneath the forescuttle so that he might 
look upon the blue sky, and behold the stars ; the re- 
quest was immediately granted him, and he was placed 
in the chosen position, and for two hours steadfastly 
gazed on the heavens, occasionally repeating the be- 
loved name of mother. At 11 p. m. his sight failed, and 
nature was wearing away apace ; the dim light was 
flickering in the socket in readiness to expire at every 
moment. A few minutes before 12 o'clock he made a 
slight movement as if to speak. I again placed my ear 
near to his mouth, he murmured out, "Oh my mother !" 
These were his last words, for just as the bell tolled the 
hour of midnight, the spirit of poor Jack took its ever- 
lasting flight. 

Then you might have seen a gathering group of 
sailors around his cold remains, subdued and broken in 
spirit, eager to perform the last sad offices to a departed 
shipmate. Poor Jack, he was washed, shaved, and 
dressed in his best suit, and carefully though strongly 
sewed up in his hammock, and neatly lashed with 
close hitches, so as to secure the body in its natal 
shroud ; after which it was taken on deck and laid in 
the launch until the time of burial. The next day the 
sun rose into a perfectly clear and cloudless sky, and 
over the broad expanse of waters nothing was to be 



308 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

seen but an unruffled sea, and now and then a sea- 
gull or a mother Carey's chicken skimming the swel- 
ling surface, the only proof that we were not alone in 
creation's expanse. There was an air of profound sor- 
row and melancholy reigning throughout the ship. 
Here lay the cold remains of poor Jack, and in the 
forecastle languished three others so ill that we knew 
not what hour they would share the fate of their 
departed shipmate. It was indeed an hour of sadness, 
when the ship was hove to, to perform the rites of 
burial. All hands that were able to come on deck, took 
their stations forward of the gangway ; they were all 
tidy and dressed in their best rig ; the stars and stripes 
were run up half-mast, the corpse with a bag of shot 
tied at the foot of the hammock was placed on a board 
at the gangway, after which thirteen minute guns were 
fired, and then commenced the reading of the funeral 
service of the Episcopal Church. It was a moment 
when all the finer feelings of the soul were brought into 
play ; the stout hearts and rigid muscles of men who 
had never flinched in storm or battle gave way in sym- 
pathetic woe. There was a moment's pause as I came 
to the period preceding the sentence "we commit his 
body," &c. I involuntarily ceased reading as I heard a 
deep groan from an old sailor. The sentence was 
finished, a deep splash was heard, and the body of 
poor Jack sunk beneath the blue wave, there to rest 
until the sea shall roll its millions to the shore. 

After this mournful ceremony was over, all sail was 
again made, and we stood on our course without know- 
ing, however, how soon the same melancholy duty 
would again have to be performed to some other inmate 
of the ship. 

The weather continued fine and the wind fair, and 
as I was much worn down with the fatigue of the last 
few days, and especially as I felt an unusual degree of 
sadness, I concluded to turn in, hoping thereby to get 
my mind relieved, as well as my body refreshed. The 
scenes of this day had made a deep impression on me. 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 309 

and I deeply reflected upon the necessity of being pre- 
pared for the solemn and awful event, to which I had 
been an eye witness. I conceived, also within myself, 
that I was not only master of a ship, but being head to 
a family, I was called upon at least to set an example 
that should be worthy of imitation. With these feel- 
ings I laid me down to rest, and soon fell into a deep 
sleep, from which I was roused by a tremendous noijse 
and crash, as if the ship had run high and dry upon 
ledges of rocks. I sprang on deck and to my incon- 
ceivable astonishment, the main-topmast was gone close 
by the cap, and there was the topsail, topmast studding- 
sail, top-gallantsail , and top-gallant-studdingsail and royal, 
with yards, masts and rigging, all fallen forward, carrying 
away the light spars in their train, and splitting the 
fore-topsail in a hundred pieces ; here now was work for 
a weak and debilitated crew. However, it was no time 
for flinching. Every man on board that was able, set to 
with a will. Such, however, was the enfeebled condi- 
tion of the crew, that it was six days before we got the 
wreck cleared away, and another topmast aloft and the 
sail set. As we were now on Lagullas bank, the light 
spars were not sent up, especially as the late fatigue 
had broken down the crew both in body and spirit. 
Eight men were now sick and off duty, and it nearly 
became a matter of impossibility to work the ship. In 
this sad predicament we fell in with a large ship, which 
proved to be an English East Indiaman, bound into the 
Cape of Good Hope. Seeing our distressed condition, 
she bore down and very humanely offered to render us 
any assistance we might want. I cheerfully accepted 
the offer and said if they would put half a dozen men 
on board of my ship, I would endeavour to work her 
into the Cape also. The men were sent on board 
immediately, and in two days we were both safely 
anchored in Table Bay. Our sick, six in number, 
were all taken on shore and placed in comfortable 
quarters, under the care of an eminent physician. But 
as it was his opinion, that the men would not be 
27 



310 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

sufficiently recovered to go on board in less than six 
weeks, I concluded to pay them off and ship others in 
their place, and proceed without delay on my voyage. 
This was accordingly done, and after rilling up our 
water casks and laying in a good stock of fresh meat 
and vegetables, we weighed anchor, made all sail, and 
stood to sea, with a fine south-east trade wind, on the 
13th of November. 

I pause here in the narrative, to pay a tribute of 
gratitude to Captain Wells of the English East India 
ship Warrington. In every respect he acted as a gentle- 
man, and but for his kind interposition and promptness 
in timely assisting me with his men, it would not have 
been possible for us in our debilitated condition to have 
worked the ship into the Cape. And further, I could 
not press upon him to accept any remuneraton for the 
great assistance he rendered to us. His generosity and 
unaffected humanity proved him at once to be a whole 
souled sailor and a gentleman at heart ; and as such I 
shall ever remember him with gratitude. 

As usual at this season of the year, the south-east 
trade winds blew fresh and steadily at one point, and 
nothing of great importance transpired to interrupt the 
usual sameness of a sea-life in fine weather and a long 
course of fair winds. During the passage down to the 
line, I discovered for the first time a defect in my sight, 
I believed at first it was temporary, owing perhaps to 
some obscurity of light in the cabin ; this however 
proved not to be the case. The defect was real, attribu- 
table to the fact that I had measured the distances of 
celestial objects, in order to determine the longitude 
with an inverted telescope. This work being often 
repeated, of course it was laborious to the organs of 
vision ; this together with much exposure in hot climates 
affected the optic nerve. The diminution of sight, how- 
ever, at this period was so trivial that I felt but little alarm 
at ulterior consequences. 

On the 18th of December we crossed the equinoctial 
line, in 35° west longitude, and it was with great pain 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 311 

that I ascertained as truth what I had sometime conjec- 
tured, viz. that the sailors whom I had shipped at the 
Cape were English man-of-war's men, exceedingly mu- 
tinous in their conduct, and what was still worse I found 
that the mate was partially leagued with them. It was, 
however, fortunate for me, that I had a passenger from 
the Cape, a young Englishman, stout and active, and of 
great muscular strength. In him I could place the 
utmost reliance, he promising to stand by me in every 
emergency. In consequence of the unonicer-like con- 
duct of the mates, matters continued to go on worse and 
worse, until at length, the disrespect and ignorance of 
duty of the second mate authorized me to break him 
and confine him to his state-room. Thenceforward 
from indications shown by the men, I was every day in 
expectation that an open mutiny would break" out. In 
this event I could rely upon none except my young 
English friend, and the cook and steward. Of course 
there would be a fearful odds against us. I was not 
disappointed in my conjecture. It seems on the 25th 
of December, Christmas, was the time set apart by them 
to have a blow-out, as they called it, having saved their 
allowance of grog for a number of days for this express 
purpose. My usual custom was to have no work done 
either on the Fourth of July or Christmas day, but that 
which was actually necessary, such as making or taking 
in sail, bracing the yards, &c. So that on this day after 
the decks were washed and the sails trimmed, the men 
were given to understand that all unnecessary work 
would be dispensed with that day. Every thing was 
quiet until the hour of dinner, at which time the grog 
went round, and as a consequence, boisterous mirth in- 
creased very soon to confusion, and the noise became 
so great that it was necessary to put a stop to it. About 
this period the wind hauled, and I ordered the mate for- 
ward to turn the hands up to trim the yards, set stud- 
dingsails, &c. He went and quickly returned with the 
answer, that they refused to do their duty : I saw that 
the crisis had now arrived. Arming myself, therefore, 



312 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

with a brace of pistols, the young Englishman doing 
the same, and giving the cook and steward their orders, 
I jumped forward, and ordered the men on deck. They 
all rushed up in a body and with oaths and impreca- 
tions swore they would do no more work until the 
second mate was put on duty. I once more ordered them 
to brace yards, and on their refusal I fired a pistol over 
their heads, when they immediately rushed to the quarter 
deck ; but here they were met by my friend, the En- 
glishman, and the cook and steward with handspikes. 
I discharged my second pistol, which took effect in the 
fleshy part of the arm of one of the villains and disabled 
him. My friend had discharged both of his pistols 
without effect ; not so his fists, for they were better than 
any pistols ; whenever a man came within the reach of 
his arm, he was sure to be knocked down. The cook 
and steward played their part well, so that in about fif- 
teen minutes the mutineers begged for quarters, and 
thus we completely subdued the mutiny without the 
aid of the chief mate, who during the whole of this law- 
less riot, stood a silent and quiet spectator on the quarter 
deck, purposing, as I supposed, to join the victorious 
party, which ever it might be. The men now were quite 
humbled and returned to their duty with submission. 
They promised if this affair was overlooked that, for the 
future, they would give no occasion for a repetition of 
the same punishment. In reply I stated that their be- 
haviour and good conduct should govern me in my 
future course towards them. During the remainder of 
the passage they conducted themselves with propriety, 
and although we encountered intense cold weather and 
many hard gales, yet every man did his duty cheerfully 
without murmuring or flinching. On the second day 
of February, 1820, we took a Chesapeake pilot and en- 
tered the bay with a fine southerly wind, which carried 
us up. On the 3d at 2 p. m. let go our anchor in Balti- 
more harbour, after a most tedious and unpleasant*pas- 
sage of one hundred and thirty-three days. 



CHAPTER XXVIII. 

INDIA VOYAGE CONCLUDED — VOYAGE TO NEW ORLEANS AND 
LIVERPOOL — CONDUCT OF CAPTAIN B. &C. &C. 

It may be well said that a sailor's life is a continued 
scene of excitement. When the vessel which carries 
him over the trackless deep, leaves the land of his birth 
and the objects of his affection and solicitude, then fol- 
low the pangs of separation. When homeward bound 
there are a thousand emotions of pleasure, springing 
up in his bosom which none but a seaman can realize. 
Fair weather and foul, storms and calms, all conspire to 
keep his mind in an uninterrupted state of agitation. 
Thus when on shore, unless immersed into what he 
terms pleasure, he is quickly satiated and sighs again to 
be rolling over his chosen element. 

Scarcely had the greetings of affection (after an ab- 
sence of one year) subsided, and the usual and custom- 
ary salutations of friendship passed away, ere I was 
again summoned to get the ship in readiness to proceed 
to Amsterdam without delay with the same cargo. It 
may be supposed that after so long an absence, it was no 
ordinary trial so soon to part with my family and friends, 
but a sailor has no command of his time, neither can he 
choose such voyages as would be most agreeable to his 
inclination. If this were the case, one half of his days 
would be spent on shore without employment. 

The ninth day after my arrival from the East Indies, 
I was again in complete readiness for sea, with an entire 
new crew. 

On the 13th of February, after exchanging the most 
painful adieus with my family and friends, with a heavy 
heart, I found myself on the ship's quarter deck. The 
27# 



314 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

topsails and topgallant-sails being hoisted to the mast- 
head, the fasts were cast off, in a few minutes she was 
rapidly sailing over the smooth water, down the river, 
with a fresh westerly wind. In two days from this 
period, we were clear of the land, scudding away to the 
eastward with a heavy north-west gale. It may be suf- 
ficient to say in regard to this passage, that we had an 
uninterrupted continuation of gales, high-seas and heavy 
boisterous weather ; our decks were swept, the long 
boat was stove, many of the sails were split to pieces, 
and the fore-topmast and the fore-yard were sprung, and 
the jib-boom carried away close to the cap. Such was 
the extreme state of the weather, it being intensely cold 
withal, that we had to subsist on raw provisions for 
many days ; the sea making almost a continual breach 
over us, it was impossible to cook or keep a fire in the 
caboose. In twenty-five days, to our great satisfaction, 
we got soundings in the .chops of the English Channel, 
at which time the weather moderated ; and in twenty- 
six hours we took a North Sea pilot off Dover. The 
wind continuing fair, we passed the Goodwin sands, 
and in four days were safely moored alongside the Hel- 
der, in the port of Amsterdam. After the usual forms of 
entry, &c. were made, we commenced to discharge our 
cargo forthwith, which was all completed and the ship 
ballasted and ready for sea in sixteen days. 

On the 11th of April, got under way from the Texel 
Roads, (having lain to an anchor wind-bound for eight 
days) and stood to sea. We had not proceeded far 
down the North Sea before the wind hauled round to 
the westward, bringing fresh gales and rain, which 
lasted eight days ; after which the wind veered to the 
eastward and gave us a fine run down the channel. 

On the 22d of April, at meridian, a departure was 
taken from the Scilly Isles, and at sunset they had quite 
disappeared, and once more we were upon the broad ex- 
panse of waters bounding over the blue ocean towards 
our much loved home. My mind had now become 
more deeply impressed than ever with the nature of my 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 315 

perilous occupation, liable every moment of being launch- 
ed into eternity. Of late I had made a constant practice 
of reading the Scriptures, and by the light they reflected 
upon my mind, I saw evidently that my condition was 
unsafe, because I felt and believed that I was a sinner, 
and as such was justly exposed to the wrath of God. 
Then again the vast amount of goodness, forbearance, 
and long suffering, which had been extended towards 
me, by the Author of my being, all strengthened the be- 
lief, that I was the most ungrateful of men. These and 
similar exercises brought a renewal of that deep convic- 
tion, which I had experienced on a previous occasion, 
and I resolved if I was spared, to lead a new life. These 
resolutions once formed, I felt comparatively easier in 
mind, especially as I had latterly, and more particularly 
on this voyage, endeavoured to impress on the minds of 
the crew their moral responsibility to God and to them- 
selves. It was a source of much satisfaction to see the 
men generally engaged on the Sabbath day in reading 
the Scriptures, tracts, &c. The general deportment of 
the crew on this passage was vastly different from that 
of any other set of men with whom I had been connect- 
ed during the last fourteen years; and without relaxing 
in the least in the discipline of the ship, the seamen 
uniformly obeyed every command cheerfully, and dis- 
charged their duty promptly. 

The winds inclining to hang to the northward and 
westward, I resolved again to make the southern pas- 
sage, and as nothing material transpiring to contribute 
additional interest to the narrative, I shall pass over 
the remainder of this passage, without giving a mo- 
notonous detail, and will carry the reader along with 
me to the Chesapeake Bay, which was entered on the 
second day of June; afterwards Ave had light baffling 
westerly winds, which obliged us to remain at anchor 
three days, affording a fine opportunity to paint, clean 
and strip the ship of all her bandages, so that we might 
enter port in ship-shape order. 

On the 5th, the wind coming in from the southward, 
we weighed anchor, made all sail, and stood up the bay. 



316 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

In twenty-six hours she was made fast alongside the 
wharf in the port of Baltimore, making the passage in 
fifty days. Thus was the East India voyage closed ; 
and thus also, were my services closed in this employ, 
for the following reasons, viz. I had neglected at the 
commencement of the voyage to have a written agree- 
ment in regard to the compensation I should have for 
transacting the business. Of course I was entitled to 
commission, but the owners thoughrproper to substitute 
the sum of five hundred dollars, instead of the regular 
commission allowance, which would have amounted to 
three thousand five hundred dollars. These then are 
the reasons why I left, the employ. Possibly h; would 
have been for my interest to have remained, especially 
as it was not generally known whether the merchants 
had displaced me, or whether I had left them of my own 
accord. 

I was not very anxious to embark again immediately, 
for as it will be seen, that I had been constantly em- 
ployed for the last two or three years, and it was but 
natural that I should feel a strong desire to remain on 
shore with my family for a short time, to enjoy the 
social and domestic comfort of which seamen are so 
long and so frequently deprived. Circumstances now 
transpired which are not necessary to relate, but which 
called upon me to use every exertion not only to sustain 
my reputation, but to maintain the social relations that I 
was bound to uphold. To remain idle was not very 
congenial to my temperament or my peculiar situation at 
this time ; consequently employment was sought for, 
but not so readily obtained, because I had a weight of 
interest exerted against me by my former employers, 
which at length obliged me to accept of a first officer's 
berth, with a promise of command at the expiration of 
one voyage. Accordingly I repaired on board the ship 
H. and discharged the duties devolving on my station, 
such as taking in cargo, &c. The destination of this 
voyage was as follows, viz. from hence to New Orleans, 
and from thence to Liverpool, to return to Orleans, and 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 317 

from thence to Baltimore. The ship being in complete 
readiness with crew and passengers all on board, we 
sailed on the 2d of November, 1821. 

I should have passed by this voyage in silence, but 
as there are circumstances connected with it, different 
from any which have been related in this narrative, I 
shall give as brief a detail as the nature of those circum- 
stances will admit of, and in doing so, T shall endeav- 
our to divest myself of all prejudice either to the captain 
or crew. Having a fine fresh north-west wind, we soon 
ran down the Chesapeake Bay, discharged ,the pilot, 
and went to sea November 5th., By this time I had an 
opportunity to make my observations on those with 
whom I was to be associated for at least eight months ; 
and the result was not of the most pleasing kind. 
Captain B. an Irishman by birth, was about fifty years 
of age, and although he had followed the sea for many 
years, yet he was not a sailor. Proud and overbearing, 
he endeavoured to keep his officers at a distance, and as 
to the sailors, in his estimation, they were but little 
elevated above the brute creation. The height of his 
ambition appeared to be in painting, scrubbing the 
decks with holystones, and employing the steward in 
some trifles, such as cleaning brass, tins, &c. He was 
exceedingly vain of his own- person, which was short 
and thick, stooping very much from disease in the back, 
with a broad Irish face, large nose, and eyes that 
seemed ready to pop out of his head, and a mouth 
which when spread occupied nearly the diameter of his 
beautiful face ; his legs were short, and his feet might 
be fitly compared for beauty and symmetry to those of 
a Liverpool dray-horse. Clothed with a little brief 
authority, he exerted if on all occasions, and his chief 
delight appeared to be to make the situation of the 
officers and crew as unpleasant as his ill temper and 
disposition could suggest. As a proof of this, imme- 
diately after leaving the land, the crew were put on an 
allowance of provisions and water, with orders to keep 
all hands at work during the whole day. He endea- 



318 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

voured to ape the gentleman with the passengers, but it 
was with such an ill grace that he failed in the attempt, 
and he was despised by them. I shall leave him for 
the present and say something in relation to the second 
officer and crew. Mr. N. was a young man, just out of 
his time in seamanship, was not above mediocrity, in- 
dolent in disposition, exceedingly illiterate, knew not 
how to govern himself or command others. The sea- 
men generally were disposed to be obedient, but the 
ungenerous and unfeeling treatment of Captain B. in- 
duced a spirit of insubordination and murmuring, so 
that it was not without great difficulty that I managed 
to have the unjust orders of Captain B. executed. We 
had not been many days at sea before I discovered that 
our noble commander knew very little about navigation, 
in fact he had run the ship ten degrees to eastward of 
the Hole in the Wall, when in its latitude, so that the 
ship was hove to three nights in succession, with a fair 
wind and fine weather. The passengers now became 
exceedingly uneasy, and as the owner's son was on 
board, he requested me to take a lunar observation, and 
that he would take all responsibility on himself. I com- 
plied with this request, and determined the ship's posi- 
tion, which was found to be correct when we made the 
land. It may be supposed after this that the passengers 
had no more confidence in the abilities of Captain B. as 
a navigator, for upon all occasions I was consulted, 
which by the way proved to be most unfortunate, for all 
the malevolent passions of this little great man were 
levelled at me. But he soon found his vituperation was 
entirely harmless ; and when he ascertained that he 
could effect his purposes of revenge in no other way, he 
accused me of drunkenness. This foul slander was 
easily rebutted, for he was proved to be a liar by the 
passengers and his own steward, and the most sovereign 
contempt fell upon himself. 

Immediately after our arrival at New Orleans, in con- 
sequence of the cruel usage towards the crew they all 
deserted. I demanded my discharge — but to this the 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 319 

owner's son (who was the consignee) would not listen, 
assuring me that if I would perform this voyage in the 
ship, I should have the command on her return ; with 
this assurance in my favour I consented. 

She was loaded with cotton for Liverpool, and sailed 
January 7th, 1822. After the most extraordinary short 
passage of twenty-four days we arrived in Liverpool dock. 
During the whole of this passage Captain B. and myself 
did not exchange a single word together, except as he 
gave some order pertaining to duty, it was answered 
by the simple monosyllable of yes or no. The men 
were used more like galley-slaves than freemen. Be- 
sides working hard all day, they were frequently called 
up two or three times in their watch below at night, 
we having -continual gales and heavy weather to con- 
tend against. As in New Orleans, so it was in Liver- 
pool, for we had not been in dock more than twenty- 
four hours before the crew all deserted. The ship was 
discharged, but did not obtain a homeward freight until 
March. Among other things which came on board 
with the stores and furniture, were six holystones, 
three of which had iron rings at both ends, and weighed 
nearly two hundred pounds each. Upon examination I 
ascertained that we had barely beef and pork enough to 
last forty days ; this was reported to the Captain, when 
he replied that it was all sufficient. 

March 3. — We hauled out of dock, had a fine run 
down the Irish channel, and steered away to the south- 
ward for the Antigua passage. The whole time I spent 
on board of this ship thus far, had been as disagreeable 
as can well be imagined, but the past could bear no 
comparison with what followed. Eight days had scarce- 
ly elapsed since our departure from Liverpool, when the 
sailors were put on short allowance of beef and pork ; 
add to this all hands were employed two days in the 
week holystoning the decks, with these immense stones 
before mentioned, that required six men to drag them 
about. On field days, all the spars, water casks, &c. were 
unlashed, and the decks scrubbed in their places ; and 



320 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

to make up the climax of drudgery, as usual, all hands 
were kept at work during the entire day. It may well 
be supposed that my situation was not the most agree- 
able in the world ; but a seaman can fully conceive 
what kind of a time I had of it, being necessarily oblig- 
ed to enforce the orders of Captain B. Although from 
my heart 1 pitied the men, yet I was often compelled to 
resort to severe chastisement, in order to get the work 
performed. In a word, to sum up the character of 
Captain B. he was cruel, overbearing, mean and das- 
tardly. When, according to his calculation, we were 
to make the islands which form the Antigua passage, he 
was again far out of his reckoning, and hove the ship 
to four nights with a fair wind. At length he humbled 
himself and asked me to take a lunar observation. I 
complied with this request, and according to the result 
we made the land and arrived at New Orleans after a 
passage of forty days. As the ship was to proceed to 
Baltimore forthwith, I determined to remain in her, 
although it might be at the expense of my feelings and 
comfort. As a proof that I have not exaggerated in 
reference to the character of Captain B. and his general 
treatment to his men, it may be sufficient to say, that 
immediately after we made the ship fast alongside the 
levee at New Orleans, every sailor left the ship. 

On the 12th of May, cast off from the wharf and drop- 
ped down the river, and in thirty hours was again on 
the broad ocean, homeward bound. Nothing material 
transpired during this passage. In fourteen days we 
arrived in Baltimore and made fast alongside the wharf. 

I am happy in being able to state, that during a life of 
fourteen years upon the ocean, and of course I have 
sailed with many commanders of various temperaments, 
the conduct of this last man was a manifest exception to 
all the others ; and it would be no marvel, if such were 
the general character of sea captains, that mutiny and 
insubordination were the general characteristics of sailors. 
This, however, is not the case ; there are many, very 
many honorable exceptions, and I have never known a 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 321 

commander, who was a good seaman, to be tyrannical 
and overbearing. Capt. B. was immediately discharged 
upon our arrival and the command was given to me. 
In consequence, however, of the yellow fever raging 
violently at the time, the ship remained at the wharf 
unemployed during the whole summer. In the month 
of October, I assumed the command of the ship Chaun- 
cey, four hundred tons burthen, and bound to the Pacific 
Ocean. It will be seen that my stay on shore was of 
longer duration than it had been for many years, and as 
domestic cares had by this time began to multiply, I 
found more difficulty to sever those strong associations 
which entwined around the affections of mutual love. 
How much is there in a sailor's life which act upon him 
as so many sources of sorrow and disquietude, espe- 
cially if he be united to one that is capable of apprecia- 
ting a sailor's love, and one too that is a sharer and 
sympathizer in all his joys and sorrows, and can feel for 
his perils and hardships. This then was exactly my 
position, and notwithstanding I had been privileged to 
remain with the objects of my affection nearly four 
months, yet as the time approached for separation, I felt 
more deeply the anticipated privation, which I was 
called upon to endure. The ship requiring many repairs, 
such as caulking, sheathing, coppering, &c. consequently 
she was not ready for sea until the first of December, at 
which time her lading was all completed, and she was 
in readiness for a two years' voyage. Let me digress 
here to give some account of the ship, her owners and 
the supercargo, in order that the circumstances connect- 
ed with the ensuing voyage may be better comprehend- 
ed. As before stated, she was about four hundred tons 
burthen, originally built for a privateer, but as peace 
was proclaimed before she was fitted out, she was risen 
upon with heavy upper works, her iron fastenings were 
drilled out, and she was refastened with copper, &c. 
The ship was very sharp and very weak, her upper 
works being too heavy for the lower frame. Her princi- 
pal owner was a Scotchman, proverbially close and pe- 
28 



322 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

nurious, as may be seen from the following account 
The crew of the ship consisted of nineteen souls ; he 
made a calculation for ninety days passage from hence 
to Lima, with the customary allowance of beef, bread 
and pork for each day. This amount was stowed so as 
to be at hand when wanted, but the remainder of the 
provisions for the voyage was, according to his orders, 
stowed underneath the cargo. Remonstrance was use- 
less. The supercargo was a young German, a relative 
of one of the owners ; he had procured a greater part of 
the cargo on consignment, spoke the English language 
badly, and did not understand a word of the Spanish. 
The hour for sailing drew nigh and with a heavy heart 
and painful emotions, the last interview was now about 
to take place. It was short and sad, for already the top- 
sails and top-gallant sails were at the mast-head, ^the 
keen north-west wind blew piercingly, blue Peter at the 
mast-head fluttered, and the stars and stripes were quiver- 
ing in the breeze. The time for parting at length came. 
For a moment I faltered but in the next might have 
been heard the melancholy accents of bidding adieu. I 
hurried out, saw nothing, heard nothing, and felt noth- 
ing, until I found myself on the quarter dock of the ship 
Chauncey. All were on board, the single fasts were 
slipped, and anon she was sailing rapidly down the 
river. 

In two days we anchored at New Point Comfort, the 
wind being to the eastward, with dark threatening 
weather. Here we had a fine opportunity to fill up our 
water casks and to procure a good stock of fresh pro- 
visions. As the wind continued a-head for several days, 
the spars, water casks and boats were all well secured, 
and the chafing-gear, such as battens, mats, leathers, 
&c. were seized on in their respective places, and the 
ship was now completely bandaged for a long cruise. 



CHAPTER XXIX: 

VOYAGE TO THE PACIFIC — DANGEROUS LEE SHORE— AND PROVI- 
DENTIAL ESCAPE. 

Before leaving our anchorage , I had a fair opportunity 
of ascertaining the character of my crew, which consist- 
ed of eight able seamen, a carpenter, six young men, 
all of respectable connections, as ordinary seamen, cook 
and steward ; first and second officers, with myself and 
supercargo, being twenty-one in number. Thus far I 
had reason to be well satisfied with them. In prosecut- 
ing this voyage I put in execution what I had long con- 
templated. I took no liquor of any description on board, 
and with the exception of a few bottles of wine belong- 
ing to the supercargo, I had reason to believe that there 
was none fore and aft the ship ; in the place of which, 
however, I allowed the men tea, coffee and sugar, and 
they were all well satisfied with the substitute. As I 
had now the entire command and control of this ship, 
I determined to institute such regulations and observe a 
mode of treatment to the crew that would make their 
time to pass as happily as the nature of a sea-life would 
admit of. My first officer was an educated man and a 
good sailor ; the second officer was an able seaman, 
hardy and rough, active, and always ready to execute 
the commands of his superiors. Before we got under 
way, the watches were chosen and the rules and regu- 
lations for the discipline of the ship were made known 
to the crew. 

On the morning of December 7th, the wind sprung 
up from the north-west, and by the time we got the 
anchor weighed it blew a strong gale. The ship's head 
was canted to starboard, and we run down to the Capes 



324 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

under a reefed foresail. It was with much difficulty 
and great hazard that our pilot got on board of his boat, 
and at 10 a. m. we passed Cape Henry light-house, 
scudding at the rate of eleven knots, under reefed fore- 
sail. At meridian it continued to blow violently, and, 
as is customary in every well regulated ship, either to 
sound or pump the vessel out, the carpenter was now 
ordered to sound the pumps ; to my great surprise he 
reported that there were two feet of water in her. This 
was a source of great apprehension, especially at the 
commencement of a long voyage, and the more so be- 
cause there is no circumstance that causes more distrust 
and discontent among sailors than a leaky ship. It now 
became necessary to keep one pump constantly going in 
heavy weather, and two every hour in moderate weather. 
By dint of a little tact and management, pumping soon 
became a matter of course with the seamen, and was 
performed as cheerfully as any other part of the ship's 
duty. As a passage similar to the present has been de- 
scribed in the first part of this work, I deem it advi- 
sable not to swell these pages with a repetition of unne- 
cessary detail. Permit me, therefore, to transport the 
reader from a sight of Cape Henry light-house, with a 
hard north-wester blowing, over different oceans and 
varied climes, and through all sorts of winds and weather, 
calms and gales, to a position off the Falkland Islands, 
near Cape Horn, after the very short passage of sixty- 
four days. All now was on the tiptoe of expectation, 
believing that we should double this boisterous Cape 
without much difficulty. I had, however, taken the 
precaution to get the ship snug and in perfect readiness 
to encounter adverse weather in this region ; and in my 
opinion, this is what every good seaman ought to do — 
for no sooner was the ship's head pointed to the south- 
west, off Staten Land, than it commenced to blow vio- 
lently from west-south- west. The ship was put on the 
starboard tack, and it blew so tremendously that noth- 
ing more than storm-trysails and double reefed foresail 
could be carried. Now our troubles began to multiply 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 325 

upon us. For thirteen days it continued to blow an 
incessant gale from west-south-west to south-west, with 
high seas and severe hail squalls ; during the whole 
time neither sun, moon nor stars were seen ; in addition 
to this we had now been out nearly eighty days, and it 
became necessary for the reasons stated at the com- 
mencement of this voyage, to reduce the allowance of 
provisions ; and what was still worse, we had lost near 
three hundred gallons of fresh water by the bursting of 
two casks; so that each, man's allowance was now 
reduced to half a pound of salt beef or pork, three 
quarters of a pound of bread, and three pints of water 
per day. To be sure we had plenty of beans, peas, 
and rice, but then there was no fresh water to cook 
them in. Thus were we reduced to this scanty allow- 
ance at a time when we stood most in need of nour- 
ishment and sufficiency of food, and this state of things, 
too, was brought about by the cupidity and avaricious- 
ness of one of the owners. From the closest calcu- 
lations I could make in reference to the position of the 
ship at this period — having had no opportunity to get 
observations either of sun, moon, or stars — I judged her 
to be to the westward of the westernmost point of land 
off the Cape ; but on the morning of the 26th February, 
while lying to on the starboard tack under the trysails, 
in a hard gale from the south-west, land was seen four 
points on the weather-bow and two points on the 
weather-quarter, while the whole ice-bound coast of 
Cape Horn stretched along on our lee-beam. 

Thus we were nearly land-locked, on a frightful lee- 
shore in a heavy gale of wind, with a leaky ship. The 
land on the weather bow proved to be the island of 
Diego Ramirez, that on the weather quarter St. Ildefonso 
rocks, and that on the lee beam was the coast of Cape 
Horn. No alternative was now left, but either to run 
between Diego Ramirez and the coast, or to set a press of 
canvas and endeavour to beat off shore. Either of these 
resorts would be attended with great peril and danger. 
I resolved, however, to choose the latter, so that I could 
28* 



326 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

have the former — that is to run through the channel, if 
there were any there — as a last resource. The close 
reefed main-topsail and reefed foresail was now set upon 
the ship. With this additional sail she bounded over 
the high sea, making little more than two points and a 
half lee way. With what an anxious heart and still 
more anxious eye did I note the bearings of the land, 
but alas the sea rolled so heavily that it forced her to 
leeward and she drew in with the land. The closed 
reefed fore-topsail was now set, and with this pressure 
of head sail she plunged into the sea, as if goaded to 
madness by the additional weight of canvas ; and fre- 
quently the jib-boom, bowsprit and part of the fore- 
castle were under water, while the dashing foam from 
over the bows and the heavy rolling sea, broke fore and 
aft the deck. It was four o'clock and the ship was now 
on the larboard tack. During the previous part of the 
day she had been pressed with canvas almost beyond 
the power of her strength, and the gale still blew with 
unabated violence. The rocks piled with mountains of 
ice, were not more than one and a half miles distance 
directly on the lee beam. With these dangers in view, 
all hands were summoned to the quarter deck. 

"My laiJs," said I, "you perceive the situation of this 
ship ; we have been carrying a hard press of canvas all 
day and yet we have lost ground, and are much nearer 
the rocks now than we were in the morning; night is 
coming on and it will be worse than useless to attempt 
to beat off shore in this gale of wind ; we must now 
wear ship, and stand off under a press of canvas, and 
^liould the wind favour us two points, we shall weather 
Diego Ramirez, but if the wind should break the ship off, 
why then we must run . through the channel between 
the island and the coast. There are some sunken rocks 
laid down on the chart, but with a good look-out we 
may clear them. You see then our salvation depends 
much on your firmness and activity. Let there be no 
confusion or insubordination ; away then to your sta- 
tions, and stand by to wear ship !" 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 327 

This order was promptly obeyed. The lee fore-tack 
was stretched along to the windlass, and the braces 
were manned. 

"Are you all ready fore and aft?" 

"Aye, aye, sir!" was the reply. 

"Put your helm up, and round in the after yards !" 
The main-topsail shook violently. "Square away the 
head-yards !" The ship immediately paid off before the. 
wind, and for a few minutes run as if driven by a thou- 
sand furies ; presently, however, she came up and took 
the wind on the starboard quarter. "Haul in your 
larboard braces fore and aft ! — heave down the fore- 
tack, and gather aft the fore-sheet — right your helm — 
belay all, and steady out the bowlines." The ship 
came up to the wind, but its violence hove her down 
nearly to the quick-work. 

"She has come up two points, sir," said the helmsman. 

Thank God, said I inwardly, — two more points and 
all is safe. "Away there aloft ! my lads, loose the main- 
sail and reef it." 

The first officer looked me directly in the face, as 
much as to say she will not bear it, sir. "She must 
bear it," cried I, or the masts shall go out of her, for 
there is no alternative. 

The mainsail was loosed and reefed, and the weather- 
clue-garnet was slacked down while the tack was hove 
down with the windlass ; then the sheet was hauled 
close aft. With this broad sheet of canvas in her centre, 
she dashed through the foaming billows with her lee- 
gunwale under water. Her head now looked up four 
points to windward of the island, but darkness was 
gathering fast upon us. The bearings of each point of 
land was accurately taken and noted, and now to add 
to the disasters of this fearful night, the lee-pump would 
not keep the ship free, and the spirits of the sailors 
began to sink. 

At ten p. m. the gale moderated, and the ship being 
more upright, the weather pump was rigged and she 
was soon free. By this time I judged we were nearly 



328 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

abreast of the island. I was not mistaken in my conjec- 
ture, for as the wind lulled, the roaring of the breakers 
dashing against the rocks was heard. At midnight it 
fell away entirely calm, and the sound of the breakers 
became clearer and more distinctly heard. Perilous as 
had been our situation during the whole day, it was 
now rendered infinitely more so, by this dread calm. 
There was not a breath of air and the ship becoming 
quite unmanageable, she was driven by the heavy 
south-west swell directly toward the rocks. There we 
lay until the morning broke. During the night nothing 
was heard but the roaring noise of the surf which 
broke like an immense cataract against the rocks, inter- 
mingled occasionally with the screams of numerous sea 
fowls, which had sought shelter from the storm. A 
sight the most appalling presented itself that can pos- 
sibly be imagined ; there we lay within three cables 
lengths of the rocks upon which the sea broke as high 
as our topmast heads, without a single breath of wind ; 
the heavy swell was forcing the ship nearer and nearer 
every moment to certain destruction. The cables and 
anchors were entirely useless, for there was no bottom 
with a hundred and sixty fathoms line ; the boats, too, 
were of no service on account of the tremendous high 
swell. It was a moment of deep and painful suspense. 
In twenty minutes with no wind the ship would be 
dashed into a thousand pieces, and all hands would be 
in eternity. I thought on my home and the dear objects 
I had left behind. I thought on that Being whom I 
had so often offended, and inwardly ejaculated a prayer 
for mercy. The seamen were silent and solemn, and 
had prepared themselves by taking off every thing but 
their shirts and trowsers, to buffet the angry breakers 
before them. We had previously to this set every sail 
that we could get on the ship, so as to catch the least 
puff of air that might pass by. Now we were within one 
and a half cables length of the rocks, and the wind from 
the rebounding breakers falling- heavily upon our canvas, 
forced the ship ahead twice her length. The sun rose clear 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 329 

and not a cloud was seen in the heavens, as the glorious 
orb ascended upon his daily round. A light catspaw 
came dancing over the glassy bosom of the deep directly 
off the land. The yards were quickly trimmed, the light 
sails shivered and swelled out from the masts, and ere 
long the whole surface of the water was ruffled with 
the increasing breeze. The topsails as if relieved from 
violent labor fell asleep. She starts — she moves through 
the water — she is safe I In fifteen minutes she was run- 
ning with topmast and lower studdingsails set at the 
rate of seven knots per hour directly from the land. 
We set down that morning to our homely meal over- 
powered with gratitude to Almighty God, for this ex- 
traordinary act of his mercy, in deigning to grant our 
deliverance from a violent death, and preserving the 
ship in safety. 

The breeze lasting six hours, I took the precaution to 
get an offing. It was well I did so, for at eight o'clock 
the same night it blew a gale from the south-west and 
the ship was under close reefed topsails. From the 
heavy pressure of canvas carried on while beating off 
shore, the ship had strained considerably, and increased 
the leak, insomuch that one pump would not keep her 
free. Fortunately, however, the second day after leav- 
ing the land, while the cook was getting up wood from 
the fore-peak, he discovered one of the breast-hooks to 
work and the water pouring in through two of the boat 
fastenings. Upon examination it was found that all the 
bolts, which secured this breast-hook, were iron, and 
that the copper had eaten them away, leaving nothing 
but the iron rust in the bolt holes. Long wooden tree- 
nails were made, wound round with tarred parceling, 
and driven into every bolt hole ; a shoar was then fitted 
one end of which was placed on the breast-hook, and the 
other end against a beam ; in this way it was strongly 
secured, and to our great joy the leak was so far stopped 
as to make it necessary to pump only once in two hours. 

But our troubles were not yet to an end. The wind 
continued to blow a gale from west to south-west for 



330 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

/ 

several successive days, so that it was impossible to get 
to the westward, and it became necessary once more to 
reduce the allowance of bread and water, say one quart 
of water and half a pound of bread daily per man, for 
seven days. Such was the severity of the weather, that 
the cook was unable to make any fire in the galley, 
consequently we had to eat raw beef and pork, which 
made our thirst intolerable. On the eighth day after 
leaving the land the wind moderated and it fell away 
calm. The heavy south-west swell went down and in 
the afternoon a rolling swell came up from the eastward. 
From the indications of the weather, I supposed we 
should soon have an easterly gale, and before darkness 
closed in upon us, the topsails were close reefed, the 
courses were reefed and furled, with the mizzen-topsail, 
jib and mizzen, so that the ship was now under two 
close reefed topsails and fore-topmast-staysail. My 
suppositions were correct, for at eight o'clock the wind 
sprung up from the eastward, and before ten it blew a 
violent gale. The main-topsail was clued up and furled 
and we scudded away to the westward during the whole 
night, with the close reefed fore-topsail at the rate of 
eleven and twelve knots per hour. 



CHAPTER XXX. 

CONTINUATION OF VOYAGE — ARRIVAL AT CALLAO — VISIT TO LIMA., 
&C. &C. 

The ship was by computation, in latitude 56° 30' 
south, and as we had run sufficiently far to the west- 
ward, at daylight in the morning we steered away to the 
northward, so that by twelve o'clock her course was 
-north-north-west. In eight days from this period we 
were in sight of the island of Juan Fernandez. It was 
my intention to stop at this place and fill up the water, 
but at 2 p. m. the cheering cry was heard from the mast- 
head of "sail ho !" At three o'clock we spoke the United 
States' Frigate Macedonian, Com. Ridgely, bound to 
the United States, from the Pacific station. I went on 
board and was necessarily obliged to state to the com- 
modore our condition and wants. After bestowing some 
hearty blessings on the owners of the ship, he very 
politely supplied us with two hundred gallons of water 
and three barrels of bread. This seasonable supply pre- 
cluded the necessity of touching at the island, so we 
continued our course towards Lima, where we arrived 
in eight days, and anchored in the harbor of Callao, 
March 25th, 1823, making the passage in one hundred 
and eight days from the Capes of Virginia. 

Here were a number of British, French and German 
vessels, and the market was completely glutted with all 
kinds of merchandise peculiar to those nations. Flour, 
however was in great demand, in consequence of the 
crop having entirely failed in Upper Peru and Chili. 
We lay here three months, during which we did not 
sell more than one third part of the cargo. Our next 
destination being to the intermediate ports of Peru, then 



332 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

in the possession of the royalists, and which were in 
a state of blockade by the Peruvian government, of 
course we remained here for convoy, which was expect- 
ed every hour from the United States. I took this op- 
portunity of visiting Lima. Like most of the other 
Spanish cities, some of the buildings were large and 
magnificent, having a court-yard forming a square, the 
passage leading to which is through a massive folding 
gate. The greater part of the buildings are of a most 
ordinary kind, and the streets are narrow, very much 
confined, and exceedingly dirty. The churches, many 
of them, are very large, and formerly were famous for 
their riches, particularly the cathedral, the altar of which 
was made of beaten silver, the candlesticks and the 
other embellishments of pure gold ; but since the revo- 
lution these riches have nearly all been removed, and 
coined into money to carry on the expenses of the war. 
I visited also the Pantheon or repository for the dead, 
which is situated at a small distance outside of the city. 
This place contains about twelve acres of land, with a 
wall built in the form of a circle, which encloses all the 
ground ; this wall is ten feet high and seven feet thick — 
not unlike the parapets of a fortress, built of stone ; and 
there are three receptacles or holes, one above the other, 
sufficiently large to admit a coffin, each height being 
three feet apart. The bodies remain here until they are 
entirely decomposed, when the bones are taken out and 
piled up into large heaps and burned. The higher class . 
of persons have splendid tombs erected in the ground, 
wherein they bury their dead and from whence they are 
never removed. At the entrance of this charnel house, 
there is a large chapel, which on no occasion is used 
except for the performance of funeral rites. This place 
is unlike any other part of Lima, as it is well construct- 
ed and kept in the most perfect and neat order. 

Lima is situated seven miles north of Callao, a place 
but a short distance from the site where old Callao 
stood, which it will be remembered was destroyed by 
an earthquake about eighty years previous to this period. 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 333 

With the exception of one man, every soul perished, 
and every house and building sunk and were swallow- 
ed up, in this awful catastrophe. I visited this spot, and 
although the country around was exceedingly fertile, 
yet here were neither verdure, shrub, nor spire of grass, 
the whole surface being one entire bed of ashes. The 
extreme tops of some of the houses are yet to be seen. 
It ^ fell to my lot while here to be a witness of one of 
these dreadful earthquakes ; it happened at night about 
ten o'clock, while I was on shore. Many houses were 
knocked down, and while I was endeavouring to get to 
my boat, the ground rolled and undulated like the 
waves of the sea; for several minutes I found it impossi- 
ble to proceed; at length, however, I reached the boat, 
and found the men in the deepest consternation. They 
informed me that for a few moments the water had 
retired sixty feet, and then rushed back with incredible 
rapidity, sweeping all before it. I did not remain on 
shore after night during the whole period of our stay. 

The United States' ship Franklin, commodore Stew- 
art, at length arrived, and we made application for con- 
voy to the blockaded ports, which was immediately 
granted. In three days after we were under way, bound 
to Q,uilca under the convoy of the Franklin, and on 
the seventh night anchored off that port. Here we dis- 
charged nearly the whole of the cargo by order of the 
supercargo, for which I required him to endorse the 
bills of lading. The merchandize was all sent to Are- 
quipa, the capital of Upper Peru. The intention of the 
supercargo was to remain at Arequipa in order to effect 
the sales of the cargo ; and his orders to me were to 
proceed forthwith to Valparaiso and remain there until 
further orders from him. From my observations on the 
character and competency of the supercargo, I foresaw 
that this would be a ruinous voyage ; on the strength 
therefore, of this belief, I insisted that every order from 
him to me should be given in writing, Which was ac- 
cordingly done. In eleven days from Q,uilca we anchored 
in the port of Valparaiso, and there discharged the re- 
29 



334 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

maining part of the cargo according to order. We lay 
in this port nearly four months, and during this period 
there was a slight shock of an earthquake once a day 
for forty days in succession. I embraced the oppor- 
tunity while here, in company with several of the officers 
of the Franklin, to visit Santiago, the capital of Chili a 
and the famous springs of Caukennes. 

Santiago is situated about ninety miles north-east of 
Valparaiso, and is one of the most beautiful cities in 
Spanish America. It is built nearly at the base of the 
first range of the famous Cordilleras; the climate is 
generally temperate, although it is sometimes very warm. 
Ice has never been known to make in the city, and yet 
every day presents to the vision the sublime and mag- 
nificent sight of the perpetually snow-topped and ice- 
bound mountains, to which the muleteers ascend and 
bring loads of ice upon their mules, one of the greatest 
luxuries in warm weather. Although the buildings of 
this city are neither so large nor so magnificent as those 
of Lima, yet they far surpass them in neatness and 
beauty. They are generally rough-cast and white- wash- 
ed, which give them an air of the most perfect cleanli- 
ness. The streets are wide and also clean, and are laid 
out at right angles. There seemed to exist a corres- 
ponding congeniality throughout the community, for the 
inhabitants were more sociable and more hospitable to 
strangers than any Spaniards I had ever met with. 

After remaining here one week, we proceeded to the 
springs, a distance of one hundred miles from Santiago. 
On this route we were obliged to take guides, as our 
course lay sometimes through forests without any certain 
marks to distinguish the way. It was a journey full of 
interest. Travelling the greater part of the distance at 
the base of high mountains, it was not unusual to 
see a volcano every ten miles. It was a sublime sight 
in the dusk of the evening to behold these burning 
mountains sending forth liquid flames of fire. The se- 
cond day, at four o'clock, we arrived at the banks of the 
river Hatchapal, from whence may be seen on the other 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 335 

side on an elevation of about one hundred and fifty feet, 
the small settlement of Caukennes. Here we dismount- 
ed and the guides led our horses across a swinging 
bridge, made exclusively of hides ; after which, in about 
half an hour we arrived at our journey's end. These 
springs are famous for the cure of epilepsy and scorbutic 
eruptions. They vary in temperature from 80° to 160° 
Fahrenheit. Many persons resort to this place from all 
parts of Chili. Bathing in them is said to be a perfect 
cure for the diseases above named. As there were none 
of our company diseased, we remained here but one day, 
and then started again for Santiago at five in the morn- 
ing ; and incredible as it may appear, we arrived in 
Santiago at six o'clock the same evening, changing our 
horses three times and resting two hours in the heat of 
the day, thus having travelled a distance of one hundred 
miles in eleven hpurs. 

After remaining here a few days, we proceeded imme- 
diately to Valparaiso, where I found Mr. V. the super- 
cargo. He informed me that he had obtained a cargo 
and forty passengers at Arequipa, for Cadiz, and that we 
must proceed forthwith to give the ship such repairs as 
were necessary, with provisions, stores, &c. and then 
repair immediately to Q,uilca, where the cargo and pas- 
sengers would be in readiness. 

Now as this place was in a state of blockade, and as 
there were none of our men-of-war here at present, 
great risk would be incurred in attempting to enter that 
port without a convoy. Again, the expenses of an out- 
fit for this expedition would be very great, and without 
some guarantee to cover the expense and risk, I believed 
the whole expedition to be perfectly unjustifiable. I 
learned from Mr. V. however, that he had no guarantee 
whatever, except the bare word of the Spaniards. I 
remonstrated with him upon the great uncertainty which 
would attend the whole of this enterprise ; all was in 
vain. He gave me written orders to fit the ship out as 
before stated. Two surveys were called by the United 
States' consul, and their reports were that the ship must 



336 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

be caulked, coppered, and that she must have a new 
mizzenmast, with some new sails, &c. This was ac- 
cordingly done, which together with the provisions, 
stores, &c. amounted to the enormous expense of six 
thousand dollars. Every thing being now in complete 
readiness, we got under way from Valparaiso, without 
convoy, and in a few days were off the port of Q,uilca. 
As none of the blockading squadron were seen, we run 
in and came to an anchor. Mr. V. went on shore, and 
to his great surprise and mortification, learned that 
neither cargo nor passengers were there. This was 
what I had expected. 

Written orders were received from him to get under 
way and cruise off and on for fifteen days, at the expira- 
tion of which the ship was to come into port ; and in 
the meantime he assured me that the cargo and passen- 
gers would be in readiness to be taken on board. All this 
was done in accordance with his commands ; but when 
the ship re-entered the port neither cargo, passengers, 
supercargo, nor letters were awaiting for me. Here 
then, I was in a blockaded port, liable every hour to 
seizure. In this dilemma, I sent an express to Mr. V. at 
Arequipa, but received no answer. Seven days passed 
away, during which three expresses were sent, but with 
no better success, for no tidings could be heard of him. 
On the eighth day, at 2 p. m. a sail was seen in the 
offing, but as it was quite calm she could not get in, 
neither could we get under way to go out. Believing the 
sail to be one of the blockading squadron, every pre- 
paration was made to defend the ship as long as possible. 
Before night closed in, we ascertained the sail to be a 
schooner, and as such I did not fear her much, as we 
had six guns and twenty good men. At eight o'clock 
a boat was seen approaching the ship, which was order- 
ed to keep off, but after some expostulation she was 
permitted to come alongside. Permission was granted 
to the officer of the boat to come on deck ; he proved 
to be an Englishman, said that he belonged to the 
Peruvian man-of-war, outside, and that he had been 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 337 

sent by his commander to inform me, that this port was 
under a state of blockade by the Peruvian government, 
and that as I had violated it, of course, I must consider 
the ship as a prize to the Peruvian schooner Lorenzo. 
I replied that the strength of the vessels must be tested 
before I could think of giving up my ship. He was 
then ordered into his boat, and away they went. 

All hands lay at quarters during the night, and in 
the morning at daylight the schooner was within a half 
mile of us pulling in with her sweeps; when about 
three hundred yards distant, she lowered and manned 
her boat, at the same time we manned two of the ship's 
boats. I took charge of one, and gave the other to the 
second mate, leaving the first mate on board to use 
the large guns should they be needed. As soon as the 
schooner's boat pulled off, we pulled away also in our 
two boats. I gave orders previously to the second mate, 
that when we were abreast of the schooner's boat that 
we must close in and capture her, and then immediately 
board the schooner. It was the work of but a few 
minutes. The Spanish boat was captured without re- 
sistance, and we boarded the schooner under the cover 
of our own guns. This being done, I run her in and 
anchored her astern of the ship, spiked her large gun, 
threw all her small arms and ammunition overboard, 
and moored her boats alongside of the ship. The 
schooner was detained until we were ready to sail and 
then their vessel was given up to them. 

The detention of this vessel may perhaps be thought 
an unwarrantable proceeding, but it will be recollected 
that my ship had been convoyed by the United States 
ship Franklin to this port after the declaration of the 
blockade, so that I had sufficient proof, that the Ameri- 
can authorities in these seas did not acknowledge it. I 
had not only a right to defend my ship, but also to put 
it out of the power of the schooner to capture or surprise 
us in any way ; and farther, it will be seen that neces- 
sity compelled me to do this, as the schooner had fifty 
men and one long twelve pounder on a pivot, a fearful 
odds against twenty men and six small guns. 
29* 



338 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

Seven days more passed away and no communication 
was received from Mr. V. although I frequently heard 
that he was dashing away in great style with a Spanish 
lady, whom he afterwards married. Now, to remain 
here any longer would be exceedingly hazardous, be- 
cause some one of the large vessels composing the 
blockading squadron was hourly expected, and as forty 
days had passed away since we first came down to this 
port, and there being no probability whatever that any 
thing would be done by the supercargo. Weighing all 
these considerations maturely, I resolved in order to 
save the ship, to proceed immediately to the United 
States. 

Accordingly the next day, June 3rd, 1824, after letting 
the schooner free, weighed anchor, made all sail, and 
stood to sea, homeward bound. 

I shall for the sake of brevity, pass over the space of 
five weeks and conduct my readers once more along a 
vast tract of ocean, and if he is not tired with a stormy 
and cold region near to the South Shetland Isles, I will 
again place him on board the ship Chauncey, surround- 
ed with fields and islands of ice in the latitude of 58 
degrees south the 12th July. It will be recollected that 
this is the depth of winter in this region, daylight con- 
tinuing only about four hours, and the meridian altitude 
of the sun about 13 degrees. The situation of the ship 
at this time was perilous in the extreme. At daylight 
in the morning after we had gotten into the field ice, 
no end could be seen to it from the mast-head. For- 
tunately, however, it was broken into pieces of various 
sizes, with mushy ice between them. No pen or im- 
agination can describe the horror of this situation. The 
intensity of the cold may be conceived from the fact, 
that Fahrenheit then stood fifteen degrees below zero 
at the entrance of the cabin. The great danger arising 
from the probability that the ice would cut our ship 
through increased our fears ; add to which the uncer- 
tainty when we should get clear of the ice, and the 
positive certainty that we could not exist a long time in 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 339 

this cold region ; despair evidently appeared in the 
countenances of the crew, and although death stared us 
in the face, yet it was not a time for me to flinch or 
falter. For the space of a few moments, alone in the 
cabin, I commended myself and crew to the care and 
mercy of that God, who had so often delivered us from 
danger, and whose eye never slumbers nor sleeps ; after 
this every fear seemed to vanish, and I consulted with 
the officers as to the best method of protecting the ship 
from the ice: This was done by running a grass cable 
round the bows of the ship and lashing it to the bow- 
sprit shroud -bolts. Two inch plank were then placed 
up and down and secured to the same bolts near the 
water's edge ; then a large rough spar was run out to 
the end of the bowsprit, on the end of which was a 
strong strap ; to this was hooked a tackle from the end 
of the bowsprit, so that by hoisting and lowering alter- 
nately it might break the ice ahead of the ship. After 
all these preparations were made to shield the bows 
from being cut through, I resolved to make as much sail 
as possible, and press the ship through the ice, and 
steer away to the northward. This was accordingly 
done as long as daylight would permit. At sunset, 
however, no clear place was seen, and she was pressed 
through the ice until midnight, when the sails were 
furled and we lay by until half past nine the next 
morning, that being the time of daylight. The wind 
now blew a pretty strong gale from the south-west, and 
the ice was undulating like the waves of the sea, while 
the sea-fowl, among which were huge albatrosses, 
gathered around us in great numbers, as if instinctively 
awaiting the hour of destruction to seize upon us for 
their prey. In vain we strained our utmost vision to 
behold a clear place of blue water ; alas no joyful sight 
of this kind was visible. Once more sail was made on 
the ship, and again was she pressed through the ice 
throughout the day. At sunset not only our ears but 
our hearts were saluted with the cheering and joyful 
intelligence from the mast-head, that a clear place x>f 



340 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

blue water two points on the larboard bow was in sight. 
Darkness closed in upon us, before which, however, the 
bearings of this clear place were taken. We steered 
directly for it and before midnight we reached it, when 
the ship was hove to. The next morning it was all clear 
away to the northward of us, and by twelve o'clock that 
day, the ice both field and islands were far away to the 
southward and eastward. The cable, planks, and spar, 
were all taken on board, a press of canvas was set on 
the ship, and at sunset there was no ice to be seen from 
the mast-head. 

We had a fine run round the Cape and passed to the 
eastward of the Falkland islands. The peculiar cir- 
cumstances by which we had been surrounded for the 
last few days, and the great deliverance which had been 
wrought out for us, not only made a deep impression on 
my mind, but it also acted upon those of the seamen ; 
many of them became serious and thoughtful, and I 
had reason to believe that the impression made upon ' 
their minds in consequence of the many difficulties and 
perils through which we had passed, produced salutary 
effects, at least with some of them. For my own part I 
was more deeply convinced than ever of the necessity 
of a thorough change in heart and life, in order to be at 
all times prepared for the various casualties consequent 
upon a sea-life. 

The wind continued strong and fair and the ship 
bounded over the blue ocean at a rapid rate, nor was 
there any cessation until we had crossed the equinoctial 
line and reached the parallel of 12° north, when six 
days of interminable calm with all its train of anxieties 
were endured ; after which the north-east trade wind 
sprung up and carried us into the variable latitude ; and 
with but little intermission, we took the wind to the 
southward which run us into the Chesapeake Bay, 
ninety-one days from Quilca. In two days we anchored 
in the port of Baltimore, after an absence of nearly two 
years, making the passage in ninety-three days. 

It may be supposed that no small degree of astonish- 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 341 

ment existed among the owners when this ruinous and 
disastrous voyage was made known to them. Of course, 
1 came in for a share of the blame, and yet there was 
no transaction connected with this voyage, (except the 
fact of my assuming the responsibility to return home 
with the ship,) for which I could be justly censured, 
having acted in all respects according to the letter of 
my instructions, and having also written orders from 
Mr. V. for all that had been done. It was exceedingly 
fortunate for me that the bills of lading were receipted 
by Mr. Y. or the shippers would have made me respon- 
sible for their property. Thus ended a voyage full of 
privations, hardships, and perils, alike ruinous to the 
owners and shippers, for with the exception of eighteen 
thousand dollars, not one cent was ever received from 
the supercargo, who married and settled at Arequipa, 
soon run through with all his means, and closed his 
career among Spaniards. 

How necessary, in view of this statement of facts, 
together with many other similar circumstances which 
I have before stated, that commanders of vessels should 
make themselves capable of transacting the vicarious 
business of any and all voyages he may be called upon 
to prosecute; and I am thoroughly convinced that in 
one half the ruinous voyages that are made, the loss is 
owing, principally to the utter incompetency of the 
supercargo entrusted with the management. 



CHAPTER XXXI. 

RELIGIOUS IMPRESSIONS AND HAPPY RESULTS SAIL FOR HAVANA 

AND SOUTHERN PORTS- 1 — RENCONTRE WITH PIRATES ONBOARD 

THEIR CAPTURE AND DELIVERY TO THE AUTHORITIES OF NEW 
ORLEANS. 

The solemn impressions made on my mind by the 
many perilous circumstances in which I had been 
placed, were strengthened from the fact, that in many 
instances human friendship exists in just the same 
ratio, as temporal interest is served ; and again, that no 
permanent or lasting happiness can be enjoyed apart 
from that feast which is only within the province of 
religion to bestow. The necessity of its enjoyment, 
therefore, now became the primary object of my pursuit, 
and although I felt the pride of my heart a serious 
obstacle to its accomplishment, yet so deep and power- 
ful were the convictions of my mind in reference to the 
unsafety of my condition, that even this obdurate pride 
did not prevent me from making use of the means, both 
public and private. In this state of mind, therefore, I 
waited, in expectation that through the medium of these 
channels I should receive the desire of my heart. When 
therefore the great deep of my soul was broken up, 
when I realized the imbecility of my own power to save, 
in a word, when I felt that Jesus Christ had cancelled 
the debt which I had incurred to divine Justice, and 
when faith laid hold upon him as my only surety, then 
it was that joy and gladness sprung up in my soul, the 
burden of sin was removed, and I felt a peace indescrib- 
able and heretofore unknown. Nor was this state of 
happiness confined exclusively to myself. The one of 
all others whom I desired to be a sharer of the same 
blissful feelings had long before my arrival obtained a 
like precious faith. 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 343 

The ship Chauncey was again loaded and ready for 
sea, bound for Havana; we sailed on the 25th of Octo- 
ber and arrived at the latter place on the 7th of Novem- 
ber. The cargo was immediately sold and a good offer 
obtained for the ship, which was accepted, and she. was 
accordingly sold for the benefit of all concerned. 

In the course of three weeks, I was again in the 
enjoyment of all the comforts of domestic and social 
life, and being resolved if possible, never to subject 
myself again to the whims and caprices of men, who 
knew not how to appreciate the hardships and perils of 
seamen. With these feelings uppermost in my mind, I 
purchased a sharp schooner of about a hundred tons 
burthen, and obtained a freight for the Havana ; my 
intention being to employ her between that port, New 
Orleans, and one other of the southern ports in the Uni- 
ted States. Having now the sole control of vessel and 
cargo, of course I was at liberty to adopt such regula- 
tions as my judgment dictated; and as the religion of 
the Bible is an expansive principle and breathes good 
will to all men, so I determined to institute its forms on 
board of my vessel, and disseminate its precepts among 
the seamen under my command. 

The schooner being ready for sea, we sailed the 
beginning of January, 1825, and from the commence- 
ment of this voyage — although the cross was heavy, for 
I had some old refractory sailors to deal with — I had 
prayers twice in the week, and worship twice on the 
Sabbath day. By a judicious and proper treatment 
towards the sailors, the great difficulty which I had 
anticipated to induce them to conform to these rules, 
very soon vanished ; and I am confident from expe- 
rience, that if due regard be observed to the feelings 
and comforts of seamen (and this may be done without 
relaxing in the least from a good state of discipline) 
while on shipboard, they may be brought under reli- 
gious impressions with greater facility than landsmen. 
The good effects of the observances of religion were 
abundantly manifest in some of the seamen during 



344 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

the voyages I made in this vessel, and particularly so 
in time of danger and peril, which existed to an alarm- 
ing degree ; for it must be recollected that, at about this 
period the ocean swarmed with pirates, who were com- 
mitting great depredations about Cuba and the Gulf of 
Mexico. 

It so happened that on one of my voyages from 
Havana to New Orleans, that I had taken nine Spanish 
passengers and a young American midshipman, who 
once belonged to Porter's fleet, and who had been 
wounded in a boat skirmish with the pirates. This 
young gentleman was going to join his friends in New 
Orleans. He understood the Spanish language and 
spoke it fluently, as well as myself. After getting under 
way from Havana, and stretching over to the Tortugas 
bank, the young midshipman, while I was aloft, watch- 
ing the manoeuvres of a vessel then in sight, over- 
heard the Spanish passengers concert a plan to take the 
schooner that night and throw all the crew overboard, 
and then run her into Galveston, which at that period 
was a rendezvous for pirates. They were not aware 
that the midshipman understood the Spanish language, 
consequently their most barbarous intentions were 
learned from their own lips, and communicated to me 
by the midshipman," they supposing of course, I was 
ignorant of their diabolical plans, and that we should 
fall an easy prey, because there being but eight of us 
altogether, and they calculated that one watch alone 
would be on deck. T made the crew acquainted with 
the intentions of the Spaniards, and although there was 
no weapon on board except an old sabre, yet I made 
the following disposition, in case of an attack ; four 
sailors were armed with handspikes and commanded to 
walk the deck during the night ; the cook a very stout 
coloured man was ordered to fill his coppers full of 
water and keep it at boiling heat, so that in the event 
of a rush of the Spaniards he was to drench them with 
the scalding water ; the mate was placed at the helm 
with a rigger's large marlinspike ; and I took charge of 
the whole concern with the old sabre in hand. 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 345 

In order that the reader may better understand all the 
manoeuvres, I will state as clearly as possible the plan 
laid by the Spaniards. As is commonly the case with 
all sharp schooners, ours had a long trunk, in the 
forward part of which was a hatchway leading into the 
steerage, where the Spanish passengers slept. One of 
the hatches was usually adjusted in its place and the 
other hatch placed on top of it. The plan concerted by 
the Spaniards was, to have one of their number sleep 
on deck, on the starboard side of this hatchway, and 
another on the larboard side, while a third was to sleep 
on a hencoop, which extended across the whole breadth 
of the deck abaft the tiller ropes, and the remainder of 
them were to go below as usual. The signal for the 
attack was as follows : the Spaniard who slept on the 
starboard side was to give three raps with the ringbolts 
as a signal for those below to rush out and overcome 
the sailors, and the one who slept on the larboard side 
at the same instant was to kill the officer of the deck, 
while the third, who slept on the hencoop abaft, was to 
silence the man at the helm. 

With the deepest anxiety I waited the attack until 
midnight, when the Spaniard on the larboard side arose 
and walked forward. At this point I cautioned the 
mate to watch the Spaniard abaft, and if he moved or 
showed any disposition to an attack, to knock him in 
the head with his marlinspike. T then placed a man 
with a handspike by the side of the cook, and ordered 
them in case the Spaniards below attempted to rush on 
deck, to get the other hatch on if possible and fasten 
them down, or if they found this to be impracticable, 
then to use the handspikes and administer the hot 
water as copiously as they chose ; but in no case what- 
ever was this to be done unless they first made the 
attack. I then went forward where sat the large Span- 
iard on the forescuttie with his capota thrown around 
him. At this moment the preconcerted signal was given 
by the Spaniard abaft. My antagonist before me rose 
30 



346 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

and drew his knife, which I immediately struck out of 
his hand with my sabre. Finding himself disarmed he 
begged for mercy. It was the work of a moment to 
throw him down the forescuttle and bar it upon him. 
Rushing aft immediately, I found the cook had made 
good use of his boiling water, for while the Spaniards 
attempted to gain the deck, they encountered to their 
utter astonishment the scathing of this terrible and 
irresistible weapon, causing them to retreat as rapidly as 
they had advanced. After some further resistance on 
their part we succeeded in getting the hatch on, and 
securing them below. The two remaining Spaniards 
who were now on deck, and who were the most promi- 
nent actors in this tragical scene, seeing that all their 
plans were frustrated, like dastardly cowards fell upon 
their knees and sued for mercy. They were tied hand 
and foot and lashed down to the ringbolts on deck. 
In the morning at daylight I made them come up one 
after another, and lashed them in the same way I had 
the others. Two of them had been considerably scalded, 
and I had inflicted a small wound on the wrist of the 
miscreant who had drawn his knife upon me. After 
they were all well secured and lashed to the deck, their 
trunks and baggage were examined, and the contents 
consisted of pistols, dirks, knives and carabines, with all 
sorts of balls, buck-shot, and a large quantity of gun- 
powder. 

With all these proofs against them, it may be thought 
singular, that I did not make them walk the plank. 
There was a time perhaps when in the heat of excite- 
ment such atrocities would have met with summary 
punishment ; fortunately, however, my judgment in- 
fluenced by a higher power triumphed, and their lives 
were spared, in the midst of this wild scene of excite- 
ment. In four days we arrived at New Orleans, and 
after a protest was entered, these pirates were delivered 
up to the proper authorities ; but such was the influence 
exerted by the Spaniards and French at this period in 
this place, that very little could be done with these mis- 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 347 

creants in order to bring them to that condign punish- 
ment which they so richly deserved. 

Five voyages were made in this schooner between 
Havana, Matanzas, and Charleston, South Carolina; 
and it will be unnecessary to enter into all the minu- 
tia and detail, I would state, however, that with very 
few exceptions, the officers and crew remained with 
me nearly every voyage, and I had the satisfaction to 
believe that the moral feelings of the seamen were in 
some degree advanced by the course which was adopted 
on board of my vessel. After many hairbreadth escapes 
and dangers, and after having been hard chased by the 
pirates, I shall conclude this series of voyages by giving 
a description of a piratical chase off the Double-Headed 
Shot-Keys on the last of these voyages. 

Let the reader take passage with me from Charleston, 
South Carolina, as far as the Salt Key Bank, and then 
imagine himself to be on board of a sharp schooner, 
under a heavy press of canvas, with a fair wind, having 
just cleared the Double Headed Shot Keys, and steering 
away south-west for Matanzas. If he can place himself 
in the position before stated, he will have a tolerably 
correct idea of the chase in view. 

At meridian the seaman at the mast-head was ordered 
to take a good look around the horizon and then come 
down to dinner ; he reported nothing in sight, but as I 
never felt perfectly composed in mind, when in the 
neighbourhood of this region at this period, I went aloft 
myself, and soon discovered a sail about six points on 
the larboard bow, standing directly for us, ancl so close 
that the men could be distinctly seen on her decks with 
a spy-glass. By a little manoeuvring I soon ascertained 
that she was any thing but a friend. Our studdingsails 
being on the larboard side, they were shifted so as to 
bring her on the starboard tack, and prevent the strange 
sail from cutting us off, which appeared to be her object. 
She was a large sloop under a very heavy press of can- 
vas, and had closed in with us so much (not being more 
than gunshot off) that we could distinctly see her deck 



348 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

full of men. Up to this time we had stood on our course, 
but it now became necessary from the suspicious look- 
ing character- of the strange sail, to haul away from her 
and try our rates of sailing. Our yards were accordingly 
trimmed so that every sail would draw. The very mo- 
ment that we altered our course and hauled off from the 
sloop, she run up a large red flag, emblematic of a pirate, 
and let us have a shot, which fell at a little distance astern 
of us. Our situation now was a critical one ; if perchance 
her shot should cut away any one of our spars, of 
course we should be taken and no doubt all of us 
put to death, as many others had been. Resistance 
would be worse than useless, because there were but 
eight of us. Still 1 had a long French six-pounder 
mounted on a very high carriage, so that it could be 
elevated above the rail. The pirate now appeared to 
gain upon us slowly, which seemed to have a powerful 
effect upon the crew. The schooner was then trimmed 
with all possible exactness, by running the gun aft, and 
placing the water casks a-midships. Again all was 
silent; the one in chase let slip a shot which fell on our 
starboard beam. The yawing and discharging her bow- 
chaser, had the effect to drop her a little astern. For 
twenty minutes she was narrowly watched, and it be- 
came evident that we were now gaining upon the rascal ; 
exasperated doubtless on seeing we were outsailing him, 
he opened a brisk fire upon us. Fortunately, however, 
but one single shot took effect, which cut away the 
quarter piece. It was now our turn. Being positive that 
we could outsail him, the stars and stripes were run up 
to the peak, and we gave him a shot from Mademoiselle 
Maria, as our gun was christened by one of the sailors. 
The pirate continued to chase us about one hour and a 
half (nor was he sparing of his shot so long as we were 
within reach) at the expiration of which we had gained 
about two miies, and as the breeze was fresh, the pirate 
gave up the chase, hauled upon a wind and stood away 
for the Double-Headed Shot-Keys, which was a rendez- 
vous for piratical cruisers at this period. We kept on 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 349 

the same course until the pirate was out of sight from 
the mast-head, and then hauled in for the Cuba shore, 
so that if possible we might get into the Bay of Matanzas 
before morning, calculating that the pirate seeing the 
course we steered when he fell in with us, would 
naturally judge that we were bound to Matanzas, con- 
sequently he would endeavour to get close in shore, so 
as to intercept us the next morning. I was not mistaken 
in this calculation. The schooner was run close into 
the land, and although the Pan of Matanzas was seen, 
yet the night was so dark that it was impossible to enter 
the bay; as soon, therefore, as we had run within 
musket shot of the shore, every sail was lowered in 
order to elude the vigilance of these miscreants. 

Thus we lay until the morning* dawn first appeared 
in the eastern horizon, and then all sail was made, there 
being a light breeze from the land ; but when the morn- 
ing light chased away the mist of darkness, there lay 
our antagonist, the pirate, about three-quarters of a mile 
distant, directly on our beam. In a few minutes he was 
under a cloud of canvas, and to our great mortification 
the land-breeze died away, and the sea-breeze began to 
set in lightly with overfalls and cat's-paws. This of 
course, brought the pirate to windward, with the advan- 
tage of a breeze in his favour, when we meanwhile 
were becalmed ; occasionally, however, with an over- 
fall the wind would strike full into our sails while his 
were flapping the masts. In this way the wind con- 
tinued to baffle about for half an hour, after which it set 
in steady and fresh ; but the pirate had gained at least 
a quarter of a mile upon us. The Bay of Mantanzas, 
however, was now open, and into it we steered under a 
press of canvas, the pirate following close at our heels, 
keeping up at the same time a brisk fire, nor were we 
very slow in returning the like civilities. Immediately 
after we hauled round the point at the entrance of the 
bay, one of his shot passed through our mainsail, when 
Mademoiselle Maria primming up returned the compli- 
ment by cutting away his bumpkin and rail. The 
30* 



350 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

chase now became severe, and for a short time our 
safety was exceedingly doubtful, in consequence of 
which I run the schooner within pistol shot of the 
beach, being determined to run her on shore, rather 
than risk our lives in the event of capture ; but as our 
shot had thrown them into some confusion, and as we 
had now reached abreast of the first fort, the pirate dis- 
charging the contents of his large gun loaded with 
grape and round shot, hauled his wind and stood out of 
the bay, while we run in and came to an anchor in the 
harbour. 

It may be remarked that the general supposition was 
at this time, that a greater part of the piratical vessels 
in these seas were fitted out in Matanzas, and this may 
account for the fact*, that no notice was taken by the 
fort of the pirate which chased us within two hundred 
yards of it before he hauled his wind ; and further, pre- 
viously to my leaving this port, the very identical 
piratical sloop came in as a sugar drogher from Havana, 
having at this time only four men on board. 

We lay here about two weeks, and then took in a 
full freight and proceeded to New York, where we 
arrived after a passage of twelve days. The cargo was 
all discharged, and a liberal offer being made for the 
schooner, she was sold ; and very soon afterwards, I 
found myself again surrounded by my family and friends, 
with a grateful heart for having been delivered from so 
many dangers and perils during a year's absence. 

Prom the exposure to the heat, and the great anxiety 
which had fallen to my lot during the last year, I per- 
ceived a sensible diminution in the strength of my 
vision. It will be recollected that I had navigated those 
seas which were infested by pirates of the most sangui- 
nary and bloody character, and the heart sickens not 
only at the recital, but at the reflection of the numerous 
atrocious murders committed by Gibbs and his asso- 
ciates, about this period. Being almost constantly for 
a year in the vicinity where those outlaws were carrying 
on their bloody tragedies, it may be supposed that my 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 351 

mind was in a constant state of excitement and anxiety. 
These circumstances then, connected with the heat of 
the climate, and the almost uninterrupted labour en- 
dured by the eyes, acutely affected the optic nerve and 
produced as before stated, an incipient state of inflam- 
mation and a partial deprivation of sight. It became 
necessary, therefore, to enter upon a course of medical 
treatment, which was accordingly submitted to, and 
happily, so great a benefit was experienced, that I was 
again in a condition to pursue my vocation on the 
ocean. 

Once more then, I am in command of one of the most 
beautiful models of a vessel that ever floated on the 
ocean — I mean a Baltimore clipper schooner, of one 
hundred and forty tons burthen, with proportions as 
scrupulously exact as if turned out of a mould. The 
workmanship was in all respects as neatly executed as 
if intended as a beautiful specimen of cabinet excel- 
lence ; her spars were in perfect symmetry of proportions 
with the hull, and she sat upon the water like the sea- 
bird that sleeps at ease on the mountain billow. The 
destination of this beautiful craft was a hazardous one, 
because it was in the vicinity of those seas infested by 
pirates, viz. the Gulf of Mexico. Her intended employ- 
ment was mainly to bring specie from thence to the 
United States. She was well armed and manned, and 
possessed a pair of heels, as report had it, that would 
outstrip the wind. 

December* 20, 1825. — Being ready for sea, the wings of 
this beautiful craft were spread to the breeze, and in a 
few minutes with noiseless speed, like a swift dolphin, 
she was skimming over the bosom of the river, bound 
to Campeachy, Laguna, and Tampico, in the Gulf of 
Mexico. In twenty-six hours we had not only dis- 
charged our pilot, but we were out of sight of land, 
scudding away with a brisk north-west gale, and in 
two days and a half we crossed the Gulf stream. So 
great was the transition from the extreme cold weather 
in the Bay, that now we could not bear the weight of 
our winter clothing. 



352 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

The crew, sixteen in number, were stout able sea- 
men, and the officers were young men of some educa- 
tion, and active, fearless seamen. The same rules and 
regulations in reference to morals and religious obser- 
vances, and the same judicious treatment, w~ere adopted 
with this crew, as enforced on my last voyages. I soon 
perceived that great respect and deference were paid at 
the usual periods of our devotion, and profane language 
was banished from use ; and as I have before stated, no 
spirituous liquors were permitted to be used, but instead 
thereof, small stores, such as tea, coffee, sugar, &c. 
were abundantly supplied. The good effects of this 
measure were incalculable ; no jarring or wrangling, no 
debilitated frames, or inability to discharge the duties of 
the vessel, was known among the crew ; they were 
cheerful and obedient, prompt in the execution of every 
command, ready and willing at all times to defend the 
officers and vessel at the risk of their lives. In such 
a crew I had the most unbounded confidence and 
could trust them in times of the greatest hazard and 
peril ; and perils will and did transpire as will be seen 
hereafter. 

The wind continued fair, and I had not been deceived 
in the reports of the schooner's sailing ; in fact, it seemed 
like enchantment, when on the morning of the sixth 
day, after leaving Cape Henry, we struck soundings on 
the Bahama banks, and passed the Moro light on the 
seventh night. The speed of her sailing was almost 
incredible, and with a fair chance I did not fear any 
vessel that floated the ocean. 

In ten days we arrived at the small port of Sisal, in 
the province of Yucatan, the capital of which is Merida, 
situated about forty miles south-west of the port town. 
The port of Sisal— if it may be called a port — has no 
shelter whatever, and is exposed to the whole sweep of 
the Gulf, and the northers which blow with great vio- 
lence. The place has a custom-house and a large fort, 
garrisoned with about fifty soldiers. About forty houses 
miserably constructed, constitute the town. Their 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 353 

mode of living would indicate an arrear of a century at 
least in civilization. A long pier or wharf strongly con- 
structed extends out a hundred feet beyond the surf, 
which rolls in heavily. On this pier are first landed the 
merchandise, which is afterwards to be transported by 
the Indians to the custom-house, a distance not less 
than a quarter of a mile. After discharging a part of the 
cargo here, we proceeded forthwith to Campeachy, 
Laguna, and Tanapico, at which several places the 
remaining part was discharged and specie, indigo, cochi- 
neal, and logwood, were taken in for Baltimore, where 
we arrived, performing the voyage in seven weeks, and 
loaded immediately again for the same ports. 

Six voyages were made in this vessel, and as I have 
detailed a general account in the first, as regards the 
different ports and the nature of the business, I shall 
content myself with detailing exclusively the more 
prominent circumstances which transpired during the 
remaining voyages, 



CHAPTER XXXII. 

PIRATICAL CHASE AND NARROW ESCAPE RELIGIOUS SCENE AT 

SEA., &C. 

As on the former voyages in these seas, so now, the 
mind was in a continual state of excitement and anxiety 
with conflicting perplexities ; the most prominent of 
which were the danger of the pirates, the difficult navi- 
gation and the surrounding hazard and peril while ly- 
ing in port in the Gulf. With all these embarrass- 
ments to contend against, it acted upon my physical 
frame and upon my sight detrimentally. On the se- 
cond voyage, when outward bound, and while crossing 
the Catouche Bank, running under easy sail at night 
to avoid a dangerous shoal, and also being overbur- 
thened with anxiety, I remained on deck until midnight. 
Relieved by the chief-mate, I gave him strict orders to 
keep a good look-out, not only for the shoal, but also 
for any vessels which might come within sight, and in 
the event of falling in with one he was to call me 
immediately. 

The schooner was at this time running under the 
foresail alone, the other sails being lowered down but 
not furled. I threw myself on the locker below and 
was soon lost in sleep, from which I was aroused by 
the mate informing me, that there was a sail close on 
our weather beam. I sprang on deck immediately ; 
but the stranger had already kept away and was close 
under our stern, and the first thing with which I was 
saluted was a musket shot, which came whizzing about 
our ears and passed through the foresail. The stranger 
rounded to under our lee, and presented one of the 
most frightful specimens of a piratical craft that I had 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 



355 



ever witnessed. He hailed in broken English, ordered 
me to heave to, and he would send a boat on board. 
Perceiving at once that the commander was either no 
sailor, or that he had mistaken the character of my ves- 
sel by running his craft to leeward, 1 took advantage of 
his ignorance. My men were stationed, some at the 
main- halyards, others at the fore-topsail and jib-halyards, 
and as soon as his boat was swinging in the tackles 
over the side, they had orders to hoist the sails up with 
all possible despatch, at the same time the most profound 
silence was to be observed. I knew this was our only 
chance, to make the best of our way, and then run the 
hazard of her fire ; for if the pirate's boat was permitted 
to come on board, all would then be lost. Therefore, I 
preferred the chance of having some of our spars cut 
away, or even the loss of some of our lives, than to give 
up the vessel, with the absolute certainty that the whole 
of us would be sacrificed by these atrocious marauders. 
At length the looked for moment came, the pirate's 
boat was swung in the tackles over the side, our sails 
went cheerily aloft, and in a few minutes our beautiful 
craft was bounding over the smooth sea at the rate of 
ten knots per hour. Quickly there was a broad sheet 
of flame issuing from the pirate's bows, and whistling 
came the deadly shot, which fell at least a quarter of a 
mile ahead of us. My lads were all firm and undaunted. 
It was a moment that called for energy and decision of 
character. Shot after shot passed over us, but as yet 
none had done any execution, and as it became neces- 
sary to increase our speed in order to get out of gunshot 
if possible, orders were given to get the squaresail 
aloft, ease off the main-sheet, and run the long nine- 
pounder aft. These orders were instantly executed, 
and with the additional press of canvas, she like a dol- 
phin when hard chased by the ravenous shark, seemed 
to jump out of the water, for she was now running off 
twelve knots, and the pirate as the shark, sped on in 
full chase, under a cloud of sail, keeping up the while 
a brisk fire with single shot ; but as the distance be- 



356 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

tween us was increasing every moment, and the pirate 
no doubt, becoming exasperated at our superior sailing, 
yawed and gave us his whole broadside, which cut 
away the lower studding-sail boom, and one shot passed 
through our squaresail. This was his last success, for 
by the time he hauled up again in our wake and fired 
his next shot, it fell short of the mark. Then we re- 
turned his coaxing civilities in compliments of his own 
heart's choice, by letting him have a shot from our long 
nine-pounder. It could not be ascertained whether the 
return favour did execution or was pocketed as a gross 
affront, but nevertheless, the wild steering which fol- 
lowed was conclusive that the pirate must have been 
thrown into confusion by some circumstance transpiring 
at the moment when we fired. In fifteen minutes from 
this time we were far beyond the reach of his shot, and 
continued to run under a press of canvas during the 
remainder of the night. The next morning our unwel- 
come companion, the pirate, was not to be seen. 

This voyage was concluded in safety, notwithstand- 
ing there were many circumstances connected with it 
of an exceedingly perilous character. The unerring 
hand of Providence was always stretched forth to deliver 
me, not only from butchery of the pirate, but also from 
the appalling storms with which we had to contend on 
the coast of America. 

It may be worthy of remark — as has before been 
hinted at — that the same crew and officers, with the 
exception of one, remained with me during five succes- 
sive voyages, notwithstanding so much hazard was 
connected with them. Indeed, the moral state of feel- 
ing which seemed to have taken hold of the seamen 
was as remarkable as it was gratifying. Fearless in the 
hour of danger, they were consistent and serious in 
those hours set apart for devotional exercises, and at the 
same time, they were under the most perfect state of 
discipline, as their coolness and intrepidity exhibited fn 
the many trying circumstances which we were called 
upon to pass through, and as will be further seen by 
the following narration. 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 357 

On the fifth voyage, after having discharged all the 
outward cargo, and having completed the lading of our 
return cargo at Campeachy, nothing was wanting but 
the papers from the consignee, to be in readiness to 
sail. I shall have to digress in order to give the rea- 
der an idea of the harbour of Campeachy, so that he 
may the better comprehend the situation of my vessel 
in the perilous incident which I am about to narrate. 

The harbour of Campeachy has but little depth of 
water and is not capable of admitting vessels that draw 
more than six feet, consequently those of a heavier 
draught are necessarily obliged to anchor two or three 
miles from the landing or city. This was my situation, 
and as before stated, being ready for sea with the excep- 
tion of my papers, I went on shore in the afternoon with 
the sea breeze, intending to go off with the land breeze, 
which generally sets in about ten o'clock at night. I 
had not been many minutes in the counting-house of 
my consignee, when a stout Spaniard, bearing the ap- 
pearance of a seaman, entered, and taking Mr. M. apart, 
made the following alarming relation, which was im- 
mediately communicated to me, viz. That a plan had 
been matured by eighty Spaniards to go off that night 
in two vessels and capture the schooner, and that these 
miscreants had made application to him to make one of 
the party. It being now four o'clock, the safety of my 
vessel and the lives of the crew depended entirely upon 
my getting off that night by ten o'clock, because those 
on board would not be aware of this diabolical plot, and 
of course would be unprepared to give them a proper 
reception. The sea breeze still blowing fresh, it was 
impossible to get off in my own boat with but two 
hands. There was a boat close by with six hands 
belonging to a French ship, which lay far out in the 
offing. I made application to the captain, who was then 
on shore, to let this boat take me on board of my vessel, 
which was immediately granted. Taking my men with 
me we succeeded in reaching the schooner about nine 
o'clock that night. The French boat went on board of 
31 



358 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

her own vessel immediately. So far then all was yet 
well. As soon as I had made known to the officers and 
crew the sanguinary plot, which was abont to be enact- 
ed, the anchor was lifted and our position altered by 
running half a mile out to seaward. The anchor was 
then let go under foot, and the sails lowered down but 
not furled. The two long nine-pounders were loaded 
nearly up to their muzzles with langrage and grape 
shot, and all the small arms, such as muskets, pistols, 
cutlasses, &c. were mustered on deck. Supposing they 
would attack us simultaneously ahead and astern, one 
of the long nines was run aft and the other forward, 
with an equal division of the small arms as well as the 
boarding pikes among the men. These preparations 
being made, the lights were all extinguished except two 
matches, which could not be seen, and then all hands 
were summoned to the quarter deck. 

a My lads," said I, "since we have been together in 
this vessel, we have been called upon to pass through 
many perilous scenes, and I have never had any reason 
so far, to doubt your firmness and courage. You will 
probably again be called upon to-night to defend this 
vessel ; her safety and our lives depending upon your 
firmness and good conduct. These cowardly Spaniards 
suppose they will fall upon us unawares, and thereby 
we shall become easy victims to their treachery. I hope 
to prove this night that American seamen are not only 
alert, but also fully competent to beat off these dastardly 
marauders, although they may far exceed us in numbers. 
I expect they will come upon us head and stern, there- 
fore, we will divide ourselves into equal parties ; Mr. W. 
the chief officer will take command of the forecastle, and 
I will look out for the quarter-deck. Let there be no 
confusion or disorder, and not a shot be fired, until 
orders are given to that effect ; after which, you are to 
load and fire the small arms with all possible rapidity. 
Should the Spaniards succeed in getting alongside, the 
boarding-pikes and sabres are your best weapons, so use 
them freely. If the breeze should spring up, we will 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 359 

slip and get under way. Away then to your quarters 
forward and aft, and let every man this night prove 
himself to be an American seaman." 

In a few minutes, the most profound silence prevailed 
throughout the vessel. It was a clear starlight night, 
scarcely a cloud was seen, and to seaward the horizon 
was well denned. In such a night objects might be 
distinguished at a long distance. No sound was heard 
except the reverberation of the roaring surf, or the skip- 
ping of a porpoise which ever and anon disturbed the 
surface of the waters by a deep splash, or the faint 
moans through the rigging of the expiring sea breeze. 

Eleven o'clock had already passed away ; it was an 
hour of deep suspense and the most intense anxiety. I 
had swept around the horizon with the night-glass 
during the last half hour, but no object was visible. 
Now, reflection busy with the past brought in review 
before me the period when I first embarked to undergo 
the perils of a sea-life. How many dangers and trying 
difficulties it had been my lot to encounter, how many 
hair-breadth escapes had I passed unscathed; amid the 
storms, the battles, at the cannon's mouth, in earth- 
quakes, in prisons, in pestilence, at times when at sea 
nearly deprived of food and water, and last though not 
least, among pirates, and yet out of all these, I have been 
delivered. This thought overpowered me with a deep 
sense of gratitude, and although my present situation 
was perilous in the extreme, yet a voice whispered all 
would yet be well. 

At midnight while ranging along the horizon with 
the glass, I saw two vessels, the one exactly ahead and 
the other astern ; the headmost vessel being at the 
greatest distance. As it was now perfectly calm, and 
as the distance was lessening every moment between 
us, it was apparent they were using their sweeps. I 
was not mistaken in the opinion entertained as to their 
manner of attack. The moment of trial was at hand, 
for the sternmost vessel was within gun-shot, pulling 
directly in our wake, apparently approaching us with 



360 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

great caution ; the one ahead was at a much greater 
distance. Orders were now given to run the guns out 
of the stern and bow ports, elevate them with precision, 
and let the matches be ready — to see that the small arms 
and ammunition were all in readiness, so that there should 
be no confusion ; and then all hands were ordered aft, 
that proper respect might be paid to the gentlemen who 
came to visit us at so unseasonable an hour of the 
night. These orders were quickly executed. The 
pirate was now within two musket shot. 
"Are you all ready!" 
"Aye, aye, sir !" was the reply. 

I buckled on my cartridge-box, thrust my pistols into 
the belt and grasped a long sabre. I saw the pirate was 
noAV pulling rapidly toward us, being at this moment 
but a musket shot off. 

"Is the gun elevated, and are you ready?" The 
affirmative was given. "Fire!" At the same moment 
we received their fire of musketry, which was returned 
in rapid succession by our men. The pirate was now 
close under the quarter, but the screams of the wounded 
and the groans of the dying from our galling fire, gave 
him a severe check. He hesitated — not a moment was 
now to be lost. We followed up this advantage by 
pouring volley after volley in a most galling fire with 
musketry and pistols. He was thrown into confusion, 
and backed off with his oars. When about three 
lengths of the schooner from us, the pirate pulled the 
head of his vessel round, and gave way with all possible 
despatch towards the shore, so as to get out of the reach 
of our guns. 

It was now high time to look after the unwelcome 
visitor ahead. There he lay about half gun-shot off 
apparently upon his oars, waiting no doubt to ascertain 
the result of his comrade's reception, not caring to be in 
the vicinity of such hot work as had been going on for 
the last fifteen or twenty minutes. A shot from our 
bow gun, however, disturbed his repose, and as he 
doubtless thought that the better part of valor was dis- 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 361 

cretion, made the best of his way in shore, probably 
to condole with his more unlucky companion. In this 
affair two of our men were slightly wounded, and a few 
musket balls entered the main-boom and mainmast. 
No doubt the little damage we received was owing to 
the fact, that the pirates were confident of taking us by 
surprise, but being deceived in their expectations, they 
were utterly confounded and thrown into confusion, 
when they received the contents of our long nine. 
Thus ended one of the most murderous intentions (if it 
had succeeded) that was ever planned by man or demon. 
The next morning I went ashore after my papers, and 
saw the craft that had proved so unwelcome a visitor 
the previous night ; she was completely riddled with our 
shot; but I could not ascertain the loss of killed and 
wounded ; it must have been considerable though from 
the number of men on board. 

My papers being all ready I immediately repaired on 
board, got under way, and bade adieu to this nest of 
piratical marauders. The voyage was safely concluded, 
and we embarked once more, when I sincerely desired 
that it would be the last time that we should make our 
acquaintance with the pirates, and especially as all 
these combined circumstances had acted so powerfully 
upon my physical frame, that the organs of vision had 
become greatly impaired, consequently 1 needed some 
respite and active treatment. 

Numerous, however, as had been the dangers and 
privations connected with these voyages, yet there were 
also very many circumstances, which had left on my 
mind the most pleasing and gratifying reflections ; among 
the more prominent were, that moral and religious im- 
pressions had been made on the minds of the crew, 
giving the most satisfactoiy evidence, that by judicious 
treatment, little difficulty will be experienced to convince 
seamen of their moral obligations. Another source of 
pleasing reflection was, the order and decorum with 
which the Sabbath days were spent at sea ; and as it 
may not be uninteresting to the reader to see how easily 
3i# 



362 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

a sailor may be trained to attend to the forms of religion 
at sea, permit me to give you a description of a Sabbath 
day's devotions, in the latitude of 28° north and 73° 
west longitude. 

The morning dawn broke forth from the eastern 
horizon, and as the rising sun advanced, the stronger 
light scattered the mists of darkness; and when the 
glorious orb presented its upper limb, the clouds dis- 
persed, exhibiting to the eye an unbroken contact of sky 
and ocean. It was a sight that would have ravished 
the astonishing powers of Raphael's pencil. Briskly 
blew the north-east trade wind, and lightly flew our 
beautiful craft over the bosom of the smooth bine ocean. 
The scene before me in connection with the wind and 
the weather, and the rapid though almost noiseless 
movement of our craft, all conspired to induce happy 
yet solemn and devotional feelings. Over the whole 
expanse of the wide waste of waters nothing was to 
be seen except now and then a porpoise jumping and 
plunging into the deep abyss, or the affrighted flying 
fish disturbed by the breaking of the water at the bows, 
appearing to be more like the inhabitants of the air than 
belonging to the finny tribe ; or, the Mother Carey's 
chicken with buoyant wing and twittering voice, seemed 
with its elastic tread upon the fluid surface, as much at 
ease as if it stood upon a solid base, gathering what 
perchance might fall from the vessel to satisfy its crav- 
ings. 

Seven bells were struck, the hour for rousing the 
watch below to breakfast. The decks had been scrubbed 
and washed the night previously, and were so clean 
and white, that you might have spread the bleached 
damask cloth on it for a morning's repast, without 
danger of its being soiled. The breakfast now being 
past, the awning was spread over the whole length of 
the quarter deck as a screen from the scorching rays of 
the sun. At ten o'clock precisely, the crew were all 
summoned to the quarter deck ; there you might have 
seen ten stout able seamen, with faces that had been 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 363 

bronzed with the sun's rays, with hard features and 
brawny limbs. Solemn and serious they sat on benches 
placed on the weather side. They were all neat and 
cleanly dressed in a blue jacket, with white duck 
trowsers, check shirt, with the black silk handkerchief 
tied before with the peculiar sailor's knot, and the ends 
flowing loosely down in front. The exercises com- 
menced by reading and singing a hymn in which the 
greater part of the seamen joined. A short prayer was 
then offered up to which some of them responded, es- 
pecially the first officer, who appeared to be deeply 
affected ; after which a chapter in the Bible was read and 
adverted to, by calling the attention of the seamen to its 
teachings, and then briefly pointing out their obligations 
to Almighty God for his protection amid all their ex- 
posures. I showed them the necessity on the principles 
of gratitude, as well as for their own safety and happi- 
ness, to repent of their sins, give to God the sacrifice of 
their hearts and lives, so in order that they might be 
prepared to obey cheerfully the time to depart ; and so 
that the coral pillow and seaweed winding sheet might 
have no terrors for them. These simple though sincere 
exercises had a most powerful effect upon the minds of 
the seamen, and were always concluded with singing 
and prayer. 

A few days were now spent with comparative ease of 
mind, but the wind soon wafted us on to the vicinity of 
those scenes of excitement which had so powerfully 
wrought on my mind in the preceding voyages, nor 
was it long before it was roused to the highest pitch of 
action. A few days previously, we had spoken a vessel 
which had been chased by the pirate Gibbs, and which 
informed us that he would have been captured but for 
the circumstance of falling in with a man-of-war brig, 
while the pirate was in chase. A minute description of 
the pirate was also given to us by this vessel. After 
we had passed the Double-Headed Shot-Keys at day- 
light in the morning, a vessel answering exactly to the 
description of the pirate, was seen about two miles 



364 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

astern. For a short time she gained upon us rapidly, 
insomuch that we distinctly made her out to be a vessel 
of war and in chase of us. 

Thus far we neither had the squaresail nor studding- 
sail on the schooner. It was, however, now high time 
to try our rates of speed, for no doubt remained but 
that the stranger in chase was the pirate Gibbs ; accord- 
ingly, our craft was dressed with all the canvas that 
could be set, and hauled up so that every sail would 
draw on the starboard tack. The pirate was no laggard. 
Hour after hour passed, and no perceptible difference 
was discovered in the sailing of the two vessels. She 
was nearly within gunshot, and it became absolutely 
necessary for our safety, that the pirate should be kept 
at that distance, so that he might not cripple us by cut- 
ting away any of our spars. Sometimes he appeared to 
overhaul us, and then again it was evident we had 
gained upon him. It was a fair trial of speed, and the 
most equal chase that 1 had ever witnessed, apart from 
the design of the o'ne and the wishes of the other. 
When the breeze would freshen astern he ranged up 
within gunshot, but evidently supposing that he would 
at length overhaul us, he did not fire his bow-chaser, 
knowing that it would have given us the advantage. 

At meridian it could not be ascertained that either 
vessel had the advantage in sailing; but the wind now 
began to slacken its force, and as in a light breeze 
nothing that was ever built could probably sail faster 
than this beautiful craft, it became evident that she 
was stealing away from the pirate. Exasperated, no 
doubt, at the prospect of losing his prey, he opened 
a brisk cannonade upon us ; but it was in vain, for 
every shot fell short of the schooner, and every dis- 
charge from his guns slackened his speed and gave us 
a corresponding advantage. At sunset we had gained 
about one mile, and when the night set in he was still 
in chase. As we had been steering our course during 
the whole day, I did not think proper to change it at 
night, and continued to run under a heavy press of sail. 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 365 

At midnight the breeze freshened, and obliged us to 
take in studding-sails. 

At daylight in the morning the pirate was again 
about a gunshot and a half astern, under a cloud of 
canvas. Our studding-sails were again set, but not 
without the expectation of losing the booms, sails, &c. 
as the wind blew strong and our craft was bounding 
over the sea at the rate of twelve knots. It was a hard, 
although a most splendid chase, and I knew not how it 
would have terminated, if we had not at 10 o'clock 
fallen in with the American man-of-war, schooner Shark, 
which, when discovered by the pirate, caused him to 
take in sail and haul upon a wind. The last we saw 
of him was in full flight from the man-of-war, although 
he appeared to outsail the Shark with ease. 

We arrived at our port of destination without further 
molestation, and discharged our cargo at two ports, then 
took on board twelve thousand dollars in specie and 
proceeded to Sisal, where we took in a cargo of bagging 
and grass hemp, for Havana, and in three days arrived 
at the latter port, discharged the cargo, and having a 
large offer for the schooner, she was sold according to 
orders, and I took passage for Baltimore, where I arrived 
safely, July 20th, 1826. 

It now became absolutely necessary that active medi- 
cal treatment should be instituted for the relief of my 
vision, as the sight had become so much injured that 
great fears were entertained of its entire loss ; yet I was 
unconvinced, and would not submit to active treatment, 
vainly supposing that the vision would get stronger when 
I went to sea. Every remonstrance was used by my 
friends to deter me from embarking again on the ocean, 
before I had submitted to the means recommended to re- 
store my sight. But I was young, and my responsibi- 
lities accumulating every day, it was necessary that I 
should be employed to sustain the relations which de- 
volved upon me. I was, therefore, deaf to the entreaties 
of my friends, and madly engaged to perform another 
voyage to the Brazils, in the command of a new and 



366 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

beautiful clipper brig of two hundred and fifty tons bur- 
then. Alas, how short sighted is man. From the stub- 
bornness of this proceeding, years of suffering and sor- 
row have marked my path in life. 

Sept. 13. — The brig was loaded and ready for sea, 
bound on a running voyage to Rio de Janeiro. We 
sailed, and after a short run reached the Capes, dis- 
charged the pilot and went to sea with a strong gale 
from the south-west with cloudy weather. For five 
days the wind blew strong and fair, and no opportunity 
had offered to get a meridian observation. On the sixth 
day, however, the weather became clear, the sun shone 
brilliantly, and its rays sent forth an unusual degree of 
heat. Although I had perceived that my vision had 
became more and more obscure, nevertheless, as this 
was the first opportunity since leaving the Capes to get 
the sun's altitude, and being very anxious to determine 
the latitude, the quadrant was adjusted and the dark 
screen-glass put down so as to prevent the glare of the 
sun from striking upon the eye. When the sun was 
brought down midway from its height to the horizon, 
the sight of the right eye was instantaneously discovered 
to be gone. My feelings can be better imagined than 
described. We were now about one thousand miles 
from the Capes, and the success of the voyage depended 
entirely on its despatch. To return would ruin the 
voyage, and to proceed on for so long a time without 
medical treatment, might cause the entire loss of sight. 
In this sad dilemma, however, I resolved to prosecute 
the voyage, especially as there was an ample medicine 
chest on board. I immediately commenced an active 
self-treatment. Sad and sorrowful were the hours 
during the remainder of this passage. All efforts that 
were made to restore the right eye proved fruitless ; and 
the keenest anguish was experienced when the horrible 
truth flashed over my mind, that the remainder of my 
days would be spent in darkness, from the fact which 
could not now be concealed, that the sight of the left 
eye was diminishing every day, insomuch that when 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 367 

we run into the harbour of Rio de Janeiro, I could 
scarcely discern the high land forming a sugar loaf, 
which may be seen at the distance of twenty miles 
with eyes of ordinary capacity. 

I was of course now necessarily obliged to give the 
command of the brig to the first officer, and taking 
rooms on shore with the advice of my consignee, pro- 
cured the ablest physicians in the place. Thirty days 
I submitted to a most active treatment, but without the 
least perceptible effect. I then consulted with the sur- 
geon of the United States frigate Macedonian, which 
was then on that station, and as my vessel was now 
ready for sea on her homeward voyage, I procured from 
this gentleman the proper medicines and written in- 
structions how to proceed with a course of self- treatment 
on the passage home. But unfortunately when about 
ten days out, I was violently attacked with nervous 
fever, which lasted nearly all the passage. 

We arrived after a very extraordinary passage of 
thirty-three days, in the latter part of December, and on 
account of the ice and severity of the weather, I was 
obliged to disembark at Annapolis and proceed to Balti- 
more in the stage. The consequence was a severe cold 
and a relapse of the nervous fever; and although I was 
now once more surrounded by my family, the nearest 
and dearest objects of my affection, yet I presented to 
their sorrowful gaze the afflicting and melancholy spec- 
tacle of a blind man. Scarcely had thirty winters now 
elapsed, ere the desolating hand of disease fastened 
on this hapless frame. The countenance from which 
beamed the glow of animation, and on which, you 
might have read the index of health, now became pale 
and ghastly; and the eye, from which flashed the 
vivid fire of acuteness and perception, now was dim ; 
and lastly, to fill up the catalogue of woes, the eye 
became void of perception and sightless. And the form 
too, once robust and vigorous, now presented an en- 
feebled and emaciated frame. 

Oh ! could you have seen the deep affliction of the 



368 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

heart, and have read the painful exercises of a mind 
immersed in sorrow, contemplating the cheerless pros- 
pect of the future, compelled to pursue a path of dark- 
ness and dreariness, and excluded from all the beauties 
which nature's variety present — could you have beheld 
that trembling form ; not crushed by the pressure of 
age, but reduced by corroding care and wasting disease — 
nature's sensibilities would have aroused all -its sym- 
pathies, and the falling tear might have dropped unre- 
proved. Now follows the sad condition of deep depen- 
dence, and the appalling connecting circumstances to 
be dreaded by every sensitive mind, such as unmean- 
ing sympathy, mortifications of wounded sensibilities, 
inability to discbarge social and relative responsibilities, 
pinchings of poverty and many other shocks of chilling 
import, peculiar to that condition. This combination 
of woes gave a settled appearance of dejection and sad- 
ness, while on every lineament of the countenance, 
were visibly depicted, the deep furrows of adversity. 
Nature, after repeated struggles, during a lapse of fiftteen 
years, gradually yielded ; and sorrow being refined and 
sublimated, by the powerful aid of religion, patiently 
submitted to its let, and now when a smile lights up 
the care-worn brow, you may there read the workings 
of a grateful heart ; and the persuasion of a contempla- 
tive mind, that firmly believes that all is for the best, 
and that there is nothing true but heaven. 



CHAPTER XXXIII. 



REFLECTIONS ON THE CHARACTER AND CONDITION OF SEAMEN. 

Not many years have elapsed since sailors were con- 
sidered a class of isolated beings, scarcely worthy to be 
ranked among the lowest and most degraded of human 
kind ; when it might truly have been said, that "no 
man cared" either for their souls or their bodies ; and 
even up to this hour, there are very many in our com- 
munity, that look upon poor Jack as a kind of wild 
animal, dangerous to society, and who ought not to be 
suffered to roam at large. 

Although the moral sense of the christian public has 
been aroused to engage in the benevolent enterprise of 
meliorating the temporal and spiritual condition of sea- 
men, yet when this philanthropic object is presented for 
the consideration of our countrymen, a vast majority 
treat it as a scheme perfectly chimerical, and they will 
neither lend their influence nor means to accelerate this 
praiseworthy object. Such do not consider the relative 
importance of seamen, either for the advancement of 
commercial pursuits, or for the protection of our country's 
rights, or for the maintenance of our national honour. 
They do not consider that seamen are the great links of 
the chain which unite nation to nation, ocean to ocean, 
continent to continent, and island to island ; and it is a 
matter of astonishment, when such people are reminded 
that seamen are the instrumentalities who fill our na- 
tion's treasury, enrich the coffers of the merchant, build 
the stately warehouses which overflow with the fabrics 
of every clime, and erect the magnificent and splendid 
mansions which beautify and adorn our seaports, and 
32 



370 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

construct the most beautiful specimens of naval archi- 
tecture that float over the ocean. It is seamen that give 
employment to the shipwright, the ship-joiner, sail- 
maker, blacksmith, blockmaker, &c. In a word it is 
seamen who must fulfil Scripture prophecy by carrying 
the glad tidings of salvation, and plant the standard of 
the cross in the dark regions of idolatry and superstition. 
Yes, it is by their indefatigable exertions, that the light 
of the glorious Gospel is to shine upon the benighted 
hearts of the heathen, until this moral darkness shall 
have been every where dissipated by the rising beams 
of the sun of righteousness. 

It must not be understood that it is meant that 
sailors are naturally better than landsmen; yet an ex- 
perience of twenty years Avith their traits has given me 
an intimate knowledge of their, character, and although 
I am compelled to say, that there are some among them 
who disgrace human nature, yet in general they are 
brave, generous, manly and unsuspecting. The sailor's 
insight of huinan nature is limited, and drawn altogether 
from the objects constantly before him; he is apt to 
think all mankind candid, open, honest, and void of 
trickery, because he himself is so. Jack is unpractised 
in the arts of acquiring or preserving property, or im- 
proving his condition in life. He attaches no other 
value to money, than as a means of procuring him pre- 
sent enjoyment. No class of men obtain their little 
money with more hardship and difficulty. This, one 
would think, would lead them to, estimate it at its pro- 
per value. But such is not the case. They scatter it 
with profuseness, as if they were ardently desirous of 
getting rid of an incumbrance, and consequently it does 
not trouble them long. 

The generosity of a sailor is proverbial. Although 
he acquires his dollars amid toils and dangers, from 
which a landsman would shrink with affright, he can 
feel deeply for the wants of others, and has a hand ever 
ready to assist the distressed. He will share the last 
copper with the wretch who is in "need of pecuniary 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 371 

assistance, and will combat manfully in behalf of the 
victim of oppression. It is certainly true, that the gene- 
ral conduct of sailors when on shore, compel us often- 
times to turn away from them in disgust ; and one would 
naturally suppose, that after a long absence, the weather- 
worn voyager would take care of the small pittance 
which he had so dearly earned, or at least expend it in 
providing himself with some appendages to assist him 
in gaining useful information, or in the enjoyment of 
some rational amusement, which might at the same 
time relax his mind, and furnish him with instruction 
that would prove useful to him in after life. But such, 
however, is not the case ; for they often seek to indulge 
their sensual appetites, at the expense of ail that is moral 
and intellectual. The thoughtlessness of these sons of 
the ocean, is not however to be wondered at, when 
we look at their privations and the peculiar habits of a 
sea-life, which in port they are compelled to lead. For 
example, see that gallant ship just about to cast off her 
moorings, bound for the East Indies ; go on board, and 
you may perhaps see about a dozen of seamen ; then 
range your eye fore-and-aft the decks, which may be 
one hundred and thirty feet long and thirty feet broad ; 
this then is the whole length and breadth of Jack's 
world— his only associations for one year at least.- Did 
I say one hundred and thirty feet — No, you must take 
off thirty or forty feet for the quarter-deck, for in all 
well regulated vessels, a hand before the mast is not 
allowed to set foot on the quarter deck, except to. take 
his turn at the helm, repair the sails, or to perform some 
act of duty about the mizzenmast, &c. Thus then, 
about ninety feet is the extent of his out-door rambles. 
Now let us take a look into the forecastle, a spacious 
apartment of about twelve feet in length, and about the 
same in width, when deducting the breadth of two 
berths, the whole tapering off to nothing forward. Here 
then is his dining and dressing room, bed-chamber and 
parlour. And now let us examine the furniture. The 
chests, which are closely stowed, present a surface 



372 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

nearly as level as the deck, and perform the office of a 
table ; then there are kids, tin-pots, iron spoons, and 
perhaps two horn tumblers, which answer the double 
purpose of first measuring out to each his allowance of 
grog, and then taking the place of the vinegar cruet. 
Now cast your eye towards the bowsprit-bits, and you 
will see, not a magnificent chandelier, but an old tin 
lamp with a long spout, filled with slush, serving the 
purpose of oil, and an old rag, slack twisted, for wick. 
This splendid piece of decoration serves to illuminate 
the obscure forecastle. Let us now examine the bunks 
where Jack sleeps. The bed, gentle reader, is not com- 
posed of down ; but lo, a mattress made of cat-tails, the 
bulk of which rolled up might be stowed in a large 
bandbox, first strikes the eye ; and then instead of the 
snow white sheets, there is a blanket which has been 
Jack's companion for many a long voyage, and for 
which he has so great an affection, that in order to 
preserve the precious relic it has been heavily quilted 
throughout with yarn; and it now answers the two-fold 
purpose, with the help of his pea-jacket, of blanket and 
quilt ; and his canvas bag well stowed with dunnage 
within, and well coated with tar without, is the pillow 
to complete the whole trappings of a forecastle bedding. 
Let us now imagine this ship and her crew sailing 
o'er the blue ocean on a Sabbath day, after eight bells 
in the forenoon watch, this being the dinner hour, and 
then I will introduce the reader to a sumptuous repast 
in the forecastle. Conceive then about a dozen sailors 
seated on the chests, forming a kind of ring, in the 
centre of which is first, a kid containing a huge piece of 
salt beef, boiled in salt water, the outside of the meat is 
grinning most horribly in crystallized salt. Another 
kid contains a pudding or duff, weighing from ten to 
fifteen. pounds more or less, compressed to the size of 
your double-fist ; there is still another containing biscuit, 
which with a tin pot of molasses -and the vinegar cruet, 
alias the horn tumbler, finishes this endless variety. 
And now for the conversation around the festive board. 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 373 

" A vast there, Tom," says an old salt, while the for- 
mer is cutting off the best and fattest part of the beef, 
"cut fair and no gouging — just parbuckle that pretty 
little morsel of bull-meat over this way." 

"Halloo, " says another, "what have we got here," 
eyeing the beef sarcastically, "why this is a fine stock 
of provisions for a soldier's knapsack ; he could march 
a whole campaign without danger of greasing it, or his 
pipe-clays." So saying, he cuts off a junk to his liking, 
which is readily subdivided into morsels about the 
dimensions of a common sized egg ; and then, to neu- 
tralize the salt, it is thrust into the vinegar cruet, with a 
dust of pepper, and the savory tit-bit is swallowed with 
peculiar relish. 

The first course being over, the dessert is brought for- 
ward, at which they all brighten up with an inward 
chuckle, apparently delighted with this weekly extra 
allowance ; then an old roaster, and a hard visaged chap, 
who sits opposite, bawls out, "handle yourself this way 
with your long shears, and cut me up the duff." The 
pudding is then first slabbed off into blocks, then 
divided into slices, to be again subdivided into pieces, 
when the contents of the tin-pot of molasses is poured 
into the kid, and a hasty stir-about completes the pre- 
paration. Now then with their iron spoons they fall 
to with a will, while piece after piece rapidly van- 
ishes, till the whole mass disappears; when, if a full 
stowage of hardware fail to bring a conviction to the 
participants, of the moral of the truth — "enough is as 
good as a feast" — alas, the empty kid too plainly admon- 
ishes them of the truth of the moral — "there is an end to 
all things." This done, some one sings out, "clear 
away the wreck!" a very unnecessary call, for there is 
nothing- left but the empty dishes to clear away ; the 
beef, pudding, molasses, pepper, vinegar, and grog, hav- 
ing all been stowed away to satisfy the enormous appe- 
tites of the sailors. 

The above is a pretty'fair sample of their meals, with 
the exception that they are generally allowed beans, 
32* 



374 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

peas, rice, and sometimes potatoes, as a change. Salt 
pork is also given instead of beef. With this kind of 
living it not unfrequently happens., that they are obliged 
to work all day, and then are called up perhaps two or 
three times in their watch below at night. They are 
not only frequently exposed to storms and tempests, 
wet and" dry, sudden transitions of heat and cold, but it 
sometimes happens, that from stress of weather, calms 
or otherwise, they surfer incredibly for want of provi- 
sions and water. Add to all this, it is often the case 
that a sailor does not receive a kind or pleasant word 
from his officers during a voyage ; and although there 
are many honorable exceptions in commanders of ves- 
sels, yet I am compelled to acknowledge that there are 
many, who look upon a common hand as nearly allied 
to a brute, and consequently treat him as such. At 
best, a sailor's life is full of hardship and peril, and if to 
these are added hard living, hard usage and hard words, 
it may be imagined that his life at sea is not very 
desirable. 

No wonder then when a ship arrives in port and a 
land -shark comes on board under false colours, with 
smooth words and sunshine in his countenance, es- 
pecially if he has a bottle of rum to treat poor Jack with, 
no wonder, I say, that he becomes an easy dupe to 
this designing knave. Presently you will see the land 
pirate have perhaps a whole crew in tow, and they are 
quickly stowed away in a fire-ship— or to speak more 
plainly, a grog shop — which comprises a part at least of 
a sailor's boarding house. Here then he is constantly 
plied with liquor, and kept half stupid ; in which situa- 
tion he is sometimes permitted to sally forth into the 
streets, where he is generally scoffed at and despised ; 
by reason of which he plunges deeper into the vortex 
of misery and wretchedness. 

Now it must be acknowledged that there are many 
men, who are an honour to their species, endeavouring 
to exert their influence and means to extricate sailors 
from this sad condition ; yet there are many others, 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 375 

when it is proposed to rescue seafaring men from the 
grasp of designing men, and advance their moral and 
religious condition, so that they may sustain a rank in 
society, to which their value and importance justly 
entitles them — I say, when this is proposed, the answer 
is, why do sailors permit themselves to be so duped 
and carried away ? The reasons have been given. But 
it may be asked, who goes on board of a vessel when 
she first arrives and takes the poor sailor by the hand? 
and when on shore who is it that will introduce him 
into society, and give him a place at the social board, 
or around the domestic fireside ? who is it, I ask, that 
will whisper kind words into his ear, and with whole- 
some admonition and advice tell him about the value of 
his soul, or go in company with him to the house of 
God ? When it is proposed to make special efforts to 
erect temperance houses and mariners' churches for 
the benefit of seamen, the objections generally are, that 
there are already houses of sufficient respectability for 
their reception, and as to places of worship, why they 
abound in all our cities, consequently sailors have the 
same opportunity to make use of the means of reforma- 
tion as landsmen have. Now this is very bad reason- 
ing. Suppose for example, that a sailor could get from 
under the clutches of his landlord, long enough to keep 
sober twenty-four hours ; let him then have a "go 
a-shore wash," as he would call it,^and dress him in a 
complete sailor's rig — say blue jacket, white trowsers, 
black silk handkerchief, tied with a sailor's knot, the 
other parts of his dress to correspond, except that his 
head is decorated with the indispensable tarpaulin ; thus 
rigged out let him enter one of our large and fashionable 
churches ; and how many pew doors do you suppose 
would be thrown open for his reception. It is highly 
probable that many of the ladies, fancying the air per- 
fumed with tar or oakum, would faint at the sight of 
this outlandish creature ; and no doubt the sexton in this 
most deplorable dilemma, would, if the audacious intru- 
sion has not too far ruffled his temper, in a delicate and 
agreeable manner show him the way to the door. 



376 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

The facts are simply these ; sailors are so accustomed 
to the severity of discipline on shipboard, that they 
would as soon take up their residence in the cabin in 
the land of plates, knives, forks, &c. as they term a 
gentry's parlour, as to frequent a place of religious wor- 
ship, where all are so different in dress to him, for he 
conceives immediately that he is out of his element. 
If then religious truth is, ever brought to bear upon his 
character, the impression must first be made, that he 
has a timber head in the church, to use his own phrase, 
with a sailor's chaplain ; and it is farther necessary that 
he should be surrounded with those who like himself 
are rigged out in the costume of the sailor. In this 
way, and in no other, will you gain his confidence. 
And if once the blessed truths of Christianity make a 
lodgment in his heart, there is no class of men that are 
more devoted, or that live more consistent lives than do 
seamen. 

It is not a difficult matter to affect the heart of a 
sailor; only keep him sober and bring him within the 
range of religious influence, and persuade him at the 
same time by the interest you feel in his behalf, that 
you are his friend, his reformation is almost a certainty. 
I boldly assert that which experience has confirmed 
during a series of voyages, as has been noticed in the 
preceding narrative, that my uniform practice was to 
have religious worship on board ; and I can safely 
affirm, that, by a judicious course of treatment, and the 
influence of these observances, not only made a deep 
and lasting impression on the minds of many sailors, 
but it also enabled me to gain their confidence and sup- 
port in many a trying hour. Indeed, during a course 
of many years experience with them, I never knew a 
sailor who was an infidel ; and I do not think any man of 
reflection following a sea-life, can be one, surrounded 
as they are at all times with the immense displays of 
the power and wisdom of God. Looking upward they 
behold the blue heavens ; looking around they see the 
vast unfathomable abyss without limit, except that their 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 377 

contracted vision make sky and ocean meet; in the 
hurricane and storm he views his wondrous power, and 
when he also beholds the enormous growth and the 
vast variety of the finny tribe, and when too, above all, 
he recollects his own exposures on the inconstant ele- 
ment, and how he has been preserved amid its various 
perils and dangers; when, I say, he reflects upon all 
these things (and I believe every sailor does so more or 
less) he is constrained to acknowledge that there is an 
over-ruling Providence,* a Being who supports and up- 
holds all things by his wisdom and power. If then a 
proper estimate is made of the value and importance of 
seamen to our communities ; if our obligations to them 
are rightly considered, and if our responsibilty to God 
in their behalf is manifest, we are bound to put forth the 
most strenuous efforts to alleviate their temporal and 
spiritual condition. If we do not do all this, and more, 
there will be a fearful account to give in the day of final 
retribution. 

Experiments are now being carried on, and have 
proved successful beyond the expectations of the most 
sanguine. Seamen's homes and mariners' churches have 
been opened in almost every seaport in the United States, 
as well as in foreign ports ; and although much has 
been done, yet much more remains to be done, which 
requires the united co-operation of all. In this great 
work a vast amount of responsibility rests upon the 
commanders of vessels, because it is well known that 
they can exert an influence over the minds of sailors, 
which is quite beyond the power of any other class 
to effect. It seems then that it is absolutely necessary 
that a commander should be under the power and in- 
fluence of gospel truths, that he may regulate his own 
life accordingly, and observe a judicious and proper 
treatment to sailors, as well as to recommend by precept 
and example that divine principle which he professes to 
enjoy. If this were generally the case, how much more 
would the privations and hardships of a sea-life be 
lessened. Let men be brought to feel their responsi- 



378 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

bility to God and to each other, and there certainly would 
not be a want of obedience on shipboard from inferiors to 
superiors ; and on the other hand officers would be just, 
and consider that the soul of the sailor is as precious in 
the sight of God, and cost as much to redeem, as that 
of any other man. It is certain if this divine principle 
were enjoyed by seamen in general, then every vessel 
would become a Bethel, and every sailor's heart a 
temple for the Holy Spirit to dwell in. But sailors 
themselves being the most interested, are called upon to 
be co-workers in that which is to elevate their condition 
in society, by reforming their habits and lives, and 
endeavour to practise those moral and religious truths, 
which are not only calculated to smooth the sorrows of 
life and make men happy, but after all give a proper 
estimate to character. 

Sailors during the progress of their calling, are oc- 
casionally in the habit of visiting every portion of the 
habitable globe. Their business frequently leads them 
among the less informed, the uncivilized portions of 
mankind. And it is here that the examples taught by 
the white men, who mingle with the natives, may 
have a mighty influence on their conduct. The white 
man is soon known to possess a mind of a higher order 
than the savage, and is by him looked up to as a 
superior being. If the moral feelings of the white man 
correspond with his intellectual power, the influence 
which he may thus exercise will be unbounded. But 
if the savage finds that the white man seeks to deceive 
him, is dishonest, cunning, licentious and intemperate, 
he can no longer respect him, although it is possible 
he may fear his power. 

The ignorant untutored savage can discriminate be- 
tween good and evil, and. although he, perhaps, has 
never cultivated the moral sentiments, he will despise 
from the bottom of his heart, the pale-faced stranger, 
who allows the animal passions to predominate over 
the nobler faculties of the mind. If you take away 
virtue you will deprive intellect of half its force. It 
is therefore evident, that sailors who visit those countries 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 379 

should be men, correct in their moral conduct, and 
thus be able to set before the savage a copy for his 
imitation, not a picture for his abhorrence. It will thus 
be seen that the bearing of the sailor when abroad is 
always of the greatest importance, and should every 
where be characterized by frankness, benevolence, de- 
corum and virtue. This conduct is particularly neces- 
sary when holding communication with the savage. 

The sailor might pave the way for the missionary or 
the philanthropist, who would be able to instruct them 
still farther in their religious and moral duties. But if, 
on the contrary, sailors should exhibit a character to 
them marked with vice and sensuality, the savage 
would soon see enough of the white man, and be more 
disposed to drive him from his territories or take his 
life, than to receive from his lips the. lessons of advice 
or the precepts of morality. It is evident that before a 
person can be successful in instructing others, whether 
children or adults, he must be respected ; and he can- 
not be respected, either by the white man or the savage, 
unless he strictly fulfils his moral duties. An American 
sailor when abroad should recollect that he is a repre- 
sentative of his countrymen, and that it is in his power 
to convey to those among whom he mingles, a favorable 
impression of the general conduct, manners and morals 
of his countrymen, or to- excite their prejudice against 
the name of an American, by a bearing unjustifiably 
incorrect or immoral. And this consideration alone, if 
he have a proper love for his country, and a due regard 
for the character of an American, will be sufficient to 
induce him to be circumspect in his actions, and desi- 
rous of gaining a good name among foreigners, whether 
civilized or barbarous, whether christians or pagans. 
But there are nobler and better motives to influence the 
conduct of the seaman when acting in some sort as the 
representative of his countrymen in a distant land, a 
just sense of moral duty, a wish to act correctly, 
wherever he may be placed, or in whatever circum- 
stances, a regard to his own character and happiness, 



380 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

and welfare in a future state. But in order that seamen 
may the more effectually exert a moral influence among 
those with whom they have intercourse, it is absolutely 
necessary that they should become temperate men. 
After all the great prolific cause of all their miseries and 
wretchedness, as well as the peculiar characteristics of 
their anomalous character, is the almost universal pre- 
valence among them of practical intemperance. This 
vice will ever keep them from mingling with society ; it 
destroys confidence and respect, and is disgusting to all 
good men; because the habitual inebriate places himself 
on a level with the brute ; and further, the sailor when 
he is half drunk not only becomes the dupe of every 
designing knave, but also is in a fit condition to plunge 
himself into the lowest scenes of sensuality. It is '.he 
vice of intemperance that destroys the constitution and 
brings on premature disease and death. Look around, 
how rarely does it occur that you see an old sailor. 
Where are they ? and what becomes of them ? Why 
they either go to Davy Jones' locker, that is, they fall 
overboard and are drowned, or they are shipwrecked or 
foundered. But the greater part, by the inordinate use 
of rum, prematurely induce disease, and then poor Jack 
is taken to the hospital with a broken down constitu- 
tion, and very shortly slips his wind. 

It is morally impossible, also, that the word of God 
can take effect upon the heart of that man, whose senses 
are benumbed with liquor ; so far from it, that just in 
proportion as ardent spirits are taken into the stomach, 
just in the same ratio will the divine influence of the 
spirit of God be shut out from the heart of such a man. 
And I hold it to be next to impossible that religious 
impressions can take effect ; or if they do, they will only 
be casual, consequently no permanent benefit will be 
the result. Let me say then to seamen, that temperance 
is not only a virtue in itself, but it makes men virtuous, 
and paves the way for all that is good and great; it 
brings with it reflection and consideration, which are 
the primary steps to the possession of morals and re- 
ligion. 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 381 

There is another class of persons who are deeply in- 
terested in the reformation of seamen ; these are the 
merchants and ship-owners. It is surprising, however, 
to behold the apathy and indifference manifested by 
many of those gentlemen, and it is a melancholy fact 
that there are ship-owners who give command of their 
vessels to profane, overbearing, tyrannical men, in pre- 
ference to those of high moral worth, vainly supposing 
that such persons are not only the best seamen, and 
alone competent to command, but also that their in- 
terest by such will be better served. Long experience 
on the ocean has convinced me, that in the general the 
very reverse is the truth, for it requires something more 
than the mere handling of a marlinspike, handing, reef- 
ing, steering, &c. to constitute a good seaman. If to 
these qualities a sound judgment is not' connected, then 
the most prominent feature is wanting to make a com- 
plete and thorough seaman ; and in the general run, at 
least eight times out of ten, an overbearing tyrannical 
commander will make a bad crew ; and he who cannot 
govern himself is unfit to govern others. Besides, the 
principal part of the difficulties and troubles on ship- 
board at sea, is owing ultimately if not immediately to 
the peculiar character of the crew ; and thus are the 
interest of voyages not only greatly injured, but also it 
sometimes happens that mutiny with its horrid conse- 
quences is the result. 

But it is certain, that if the interests of the merchant 
are advanced by having as commanders of their vessels 
men of moral feelings and just conceptions of responsi- 
bility, it is also certain, that the sailor's character ought 
to correspond with the officers ; for what guarantee can 
a merchant have for his property at sea while under the 
care and management of a crew, that neither fear God 
nor regard man, and consequently have no proper 
notions of moral obligation. To be sure it must be 
confessed, that many safe and expeditious voyages have 
been made with such crews, but then this is no argu- 
ment why the moral condition of seamen should not be 
33 



382 LIFE ON THE OCEAN, 

elevated. In fact there is an imperious obligation de- 
volving on the merchants in reference to seamen ; it is 
a debt of gratitude due by them ; the reasons for which 
have been stated in the preceding pages. In what 
better way then, I ask, can this claim be liquidated, than 
for the merchant to lend his influence and means in 
elevating the sailor to that rank in society, to which his 
worth and importance demand. 

But there is yet a higher and nobler motive which 
should induce merchants to rescue seamen from the 
low and grovelling condition, which unfortunately too 
many of them now sustain — that is by exercising that 
universal love and good will, which is not prompted by 
sordid or mercenary motives. It is a species of that love 
which induced the blessed Redeemer to give his life a 
ransom for all. Now if the heart is actuated by a prin- 
ciple like this, there will not be wanting the most 
strenuous efforts on the part of merchants to snatch 
weather-beaten sailors as brands from the eternal burn- 
ing, especially when it is seen what vast numbers 
are anmially swept off by shipwreck and other casual- 
ties at sea, and ushered into eternity at a moment's 
warning, without -preparation to appear at the bar of 
God. It may be asked, how is this to be effected, and 
how are sailors to be reached. I answer, let the merchant 
entirely discountenance those places where sailors gene- 
rally take up their residence when on shore, which are 
usually denominated sailor-boarding-houses ; the better 
appellation, however, would be grog shops or haunts of 
dissipation. In such places as these the unsuspecting 
sailor is amply plied with the intoxicating bowl, which 
not only drowns his sensibilities, and keeps him upon 
a level with the brute, but here also his hard earnings 
are filched, and then when no more can be drained from 
him by mock caress or venal device, he is shipped on 
board of some vessel in a state of stupefaction, or what 
is worse, with the delirium tremens. 

The keepers of such places should be discountenanced 
by all good men ; and that which perhaps . will more 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 383 

effectually bring about the object intended is, let not 
the merchants employ shipping-masters who keep such 
houses or that ship any sailors from those places. There 
may be some difficulty perhaps at first in effecting this, 
but it will soon vanish away, provided the ship-owners 
will give their entire countenance and support to men 
of worth and standing, who keep temperance houses, 
and seamen's homes, where the sailor may resort after 
his long and perilous voyage, and have both his tem- 
poral and spiritual interests greatly advanced ; and where 
instead of being robbed of his hard earnings, his consti- 
tution shattered, and packed off to sea like a beast — 
instead of which he may have his money put in a 
Savings Bank, and when he is about to go to sea he 
may have a chest of good clothes, and clean bedding, 
with a sound vigorous frame, and go on board of a ship 
able to perform his duty in a seaman-like manner. 

It is exceedingly gratifying to know, that a growing 
interest is gathering around the community in behalf 
of seamen; and well it may, when we consider the vast 
number employed in our naval and merchant service, 
including also our inland navigation ; they are at pre- 
sent estimated at about five hundred thousand men, a 
class perhaps of more value to the real interests of this 
country than any other — a class whose interests certainly 
have been more neglected by society, than even the 
pauper, who prowls about the streets. It is singularly 
strange, that this should be so, for the blessed Redeemer 
ill the days of his incarnation, not only honored the sea 
of Tiberias and Genessaret with his presence, but actu- 
ally called seamen to be his first heralds to proclaim the 
glad tidings of salvation to a lost and ruined world ; and 
he preached his own everlasting Gospel, dispensing the 
bread of life to the famishing multitude from a vessel's 
deck. And yet it is not more than thirty years since 
any special efforts were made in behalf of seamen to 
better their condition in society, and effect the salvation 
of their souls. The light first began to dawn upon their 
moral horizon in the British Isles, in 1810; and very 



384 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

soon its benign rays were reflected across the Atlantic 
upon the American shores ; and then for the first time, 
the voice of the man of God was heard proclaiming, 
"Sailor there is hope for thee!'' 



CHAPTER XXXIY. 

SUGGESTIONS IN REGARD TO THE MORAL IMPROVEMENT OF 

SEAMEN. 

It is a matter of speculation and much doubt with 
many whether the plan of reforming sailors and of 
making them religionists, so that they may sustain their 
place in society, is at ail feasible. This is not to be 
wondered at with landsmen, who have no other op- 
portunity of forming an opinion of sailors except by the 
conduct which is exhibited by them while on shore. 
This indeed will be an erroneous judgment, because 
the baser passions are alone manifested by reason of the 
many temptations and baits which are thrown out by 
designing men to allure them from the path of rectitude, 
which unfortunately not only prove too successful in 
the ruin of thousands, but also stamp their general cha- 
racter with infamy in the estimation of a large class of 
landsmen. 

It is impossible to judge of the real character of a 
sailor by what is seen of him on shore ; and although he 
seems to be impervious and callous in regard to the 
great subject of religion, yet there is no class of men 
that might so easily be brought under its influence if 
properly managed as seamen. Permit me to give a few 
of the more prominent reasons why there is such an ap- 
parent indifference among sailors in regard to morals 
and religion. 

First then it is owing to the almost total neglect of its 
observances and requirements on board of nearly all 
vessels that navigate the ocean. The Sabbaths are 
•desecrated, and little or no difference is recognized be- 
tween it and other days of the week ; oaths and impre- 
33* 



386 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

cations are the general tenor of the conversation, which 
issue from the cabins of many vessels, and even the 
forms of religipn are not known in many a long and 
perilous voyage, and it not unfrequently happens that it 
is neither seen nor exhibited in the whole course of a 
sailor's life. Can it then be a matter of astonishment to 
behold the indifference and recklessness of sailors, in 
regard to these matters. Just for a moment behold them 
on the ocean excluded from the restraints of society, 
deprived of all those instituted means of grace on the 
Sabbath which are always within the reach of landsmen, 
besides being surrounded on all sides with evil example ; 
and especially that which is exhibited by their superiors 
— looked upon in many instances as possessing no 
souls — I say when all these things are considered, it is 
not surprising that sailors manifest but little relish for 
morals or religion. 

It may be asked what course shall we pursue with 
sailors while on the ocean, in order to impress their 
minds with a deep sense of their obligations to God, and 
the necessity of seeking the salvation of their souls ? I 
answer, if possible let the commanders of all vessels, if 
not strictly religious, be at least moral and observe the 
forms and restraints of Christianity on the Sabbath day. 
This observance in keeping alive a state of moral feel- 
ing will consequently give a check and restraint to those 
outbreakings of profane swearing and other vices so 
common among sailors. It may be objected that these 
observances will interfere with the duties of the ship, 
or that it will be impossible to bring many sailors to 
attend to these forms of devotion at sea. In the latter 
years of my sea-life, as will be seen in the preceding 
narrative, I never found any obstacle either in reference 
to carrying on the duties of the ship, nor the unwilling- 
ness of sailors to obey orders. Certainly, if a corres- 
pondent and uniform course of discipline is not observ- 
ed, it cannot be expected that sailors will either be 
willing to attend to those exercises or place confidence 
in the highest profession. 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 387 

Secondly, let every vessel that floats over the ocean 
have the Total Abstinence Temperance Flag nailed to 
the mast-head. Here too the example should be ex- 
hibited from the quarter-deck, for 1 hesitate not to affirm, 
that the greater part of the difficulties, insubordination 
and mutinies, which have taken place among seamen 
on the ocean, have arisen principally from the fact, that 
the demon of intemperance had the exclusive command 
of the ship. Nay, I may go further and not overstep 
the bounds of truth, and say, that in former years at 
least many of the losses, shipwrecks, and consequently 
loss of life, &c. which have occurred at sea, were caused 
by the practical inebriation of the cabin officers. 

But it is a source of great satisfaction to know, that 
this great evil is now almost universally banished from 
the cabins of nearly every vessel that floats on the 
ocean; and indeed, it has latterly been excluded from 
the forecastles of some of our gallant ships. In connec- 
tion with this, care should be taken as much as possi- 
ble for the comfort of sailors, in regard to that part of 
the vessel which is assigned to them for their eating, 
sleeping, &c. I have been before the mast myself in 
vessels, the forecastles of which, so far from being 
sufficiently capacious for a dozen men to live in, there 
was not really room enough, as a sailor would say, to 
swing a cat in ; and besides, what with the decks 
leaking, and the sea thrown into it as the ship plunged 
through the water, by reason of these, we scarcely kept 
our bedding or clothing fit either to sleep in or wear ; 
and in those cases I invariably found the main-deck the 
more comfortable place of the two. 

It is certainly astonishing, that while the owners of 
ships instruct the builders to make ample room for the 
cabin, where there is in general not more than three per- 
sons, yet there is not allowed in general more than one 
half the space of the cabin to be devoted to the comfort 
and convenience of the crew, consisting perhaps of 
twelve or fifteen men. Of course it is not my province 
|o dictate or lay down any specific rules for the regula- 



388 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

tion and discipline of vessels ; these must ever vary- 
according to circumstances. 

It may be necessary on short voyages to limit the 
privileges of time, and again, when vessels are just off 
the stocks, and new, of course, there is more duty to 
perform on board of such an one, than on board of 
others which have been for some time running. On 
long voyages, however, I have invariably found it to be 
the better plan, to give the forenoon watch below,, and 
in heavy weather to have watch and watch ; and a uni- 
form rule, from which I never deviated, apart from the 
necessary duties of the ship, was to allow them Satur- 
day for the purpose of washing and mending their 
clothes, cleansing the forecastle, &c. This was done 
in order that the Sabbath day might be respected, and 
that no excuse might be made for want of time, should 
they be found violating it. In this way I generally 
managed to get the duties of the ship performed cheer- 
fully and with promptness ; and with one single excep- 
tion, during the whole period of my command, I never 
had but one difficulty at sea, and that was owing en- 
tirely to drunkenness on the part of the crew. 

Once more — I generally endeavoured, so far as it was 
in my power, to have good and wholesome provisions 
for the seamen, and to see after the manner in which 
it was cooked and served up to them. Their living at 
best is not of the most superior kind, and it becomes 
infinitely worse, when it is half cooked in filth, which 
is too often the case. Again, I never put men on allow- 
ance except imperious necessity demanded it, and this 
may often happen at sea, for sailors are sometimes ex- 
travagant and wasteful, and sometimes from a long 
course of head winds and calms, provisions may get 
short ; and not unfrequently on board of merchant 
ships, where there are several water casks lashed on 
deck, some of them are swept overboard by the violence 
of the sea, consequently the quantity is reduced. From 
these and many other circumstances then, it becomes 
absolutely necessary to go on allowance of provisions 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 389 

and water. Ordinarily, however, the more judicious 
plan is not to allowance sailors, because it engenders 
much bad feeling, by souring their tempers, a.nd caus- 
ing them to grumble, which generally ends in difficulty 
and trouble. I know not why sailors should not be 
treated, (if they conduct themselves with propriety and 
discharge their duty,) as well as landsmen. It is well 
known that, if mechanics are employed at any particu- 
lar business, they will never suffer themselves to be 
treated contemptuously, much less will they admit an 
employer to vent oaths and curses upon them with im- 
punity. I do not institute this comparison with the 
view of giving sailors license to insubordination, but 
merely to show that an employer on shore never con- 
ducts himself towards the employed in this way. There 
is a feeling among landsmen, and in some degree 
among the officers of vessels, that sailors have sprung 
from the most degraded part of society ; and this feel- 
ing seems to be almost universal, producing a degree of 
aversion and contempt, arising solely from unjust pre- 
judices towards them. 

There is a great mistake existing among the commu- 
nity in reference to this matter, for I will venture to 
affirm, that sailors as a class of men, have a descent 
quite as reputable as the generality of landsmen ; and 
indeed, there are many among them whose parentage is 
of the first respectability, such as those who come from 
the eastern states, which may truly be called the nursery 
of American seamen. These, at their advent upon the 
ocean, do not go to sea as a matter of convenience, nei- 
ther are they so bad that their friends can do nothing 
with them on shore, in consequence of which they 
must be sent to sea ; but as a matter of choice they enter 
upon the business of a sea-life, as they would upon any 
mechanical pursuit, and follow it through all its grada- 
tions, until many of them arrive at the acme of their 
profession. In this view of the case then, it is very 
evident that men must be thoroughbred sailors, before 
they can be capable to command. Now, then, if there 



390 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

are thousands of sailors in our merchant service of a 
character just mentioned, it follows that they are entitled 
to the same kind of deference in their sphere, as lands- 
men, particularly if they discharge their duty agree- 
ably to contract. That they are bound to do so, and 
also conform to any course of discipline there can be no 
question ; and when these obligations are fulfilled, it 
becomes the imperious duty of the commander and 
officers to discharge the high obligations which devolve 
upon them towards seamen. And it does appear to me 
that after an attentive observance of many years in re- 
gard to the character of seamen, if a judicious line of 
conduct were instituted with them on shipboard, not 
only would many of the hardships and privations conse- 
quent upon a sea-life, be ameliorated, but also they 
would have a more just conception of moral responsi- 
bility ; or in other words, their duty towards God and 
man, would be sensibly enhanced. 

It does not require the depth of a casuist to see, that if 
this were the general character of our seamen, they 
would not only command that respect on shore which 
their condition entitles them, but as they must be the 
vehicles by which the glad tidings of salvation are to be 
carried to the heathen, and the standard of the cross 
must be planted in the dark corners and habitations of 
idolatry — I say, as they must be the channels of .com- 
munication by which this glorious event is to be con- 
summated, how infinitely better must they be prepared 
to discharge this duty, when their characters are influ- 
enced by morals and religion. 

When we look at the great good which may be effected 
by the influence and deportment of seamen in foreign 
lands, not only as it regards the establishing of our 
national character as good or evil, but also as dissemi- 
nating the seeds of virtue and religion on the minds and 
in the hearts of the heathen, and among those where 
the blessed light of Christianity hath not shed its benign 
rays — I say, when the importance of these things are 
considered, is it not wonderful, that the christian com- 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 391 

mnnity seems to be in a state of torpor and supineness 
in regard to the great subject of reforming sailors ; yet 
there does not appear to be any want of disposition on 
the part of christians both real and nominal, to exert 
their influence and means in sending forth the mission- 
ary of the cross among the benighted sons and daughters 
of superstition, in order to spread the blessed effects of 
the Gospel among them. And yet there are thousands 
navigating our ships over the ocean, who are as deeply 
benighted in reference to the great subject of morals and 
religion, as the heathen; and it does appear but just, 
that while such great exertions are made to send the 
bread of life into foreign lands, something certainly 
ought to be done for those who are the vehicles of com- 
munication, and without whom the effects of Christianity 
would be exclusively confined to civilized and christian- 
ized nations. 

It has been said, and with great truth, when the 
religion of the cross gets firm hold upon the sailor's heart, 
that he becomes a more zealous champion for the truth, 
than one of any other class of men. If this be true — and 
the very nature of his occupation confirms the assertion — 
how much better calculated is he then to advance the 
cause of Christianity, than a landsman ; and, it follows 
of consequence, that as the nature of his vocation obliges 
him to visit almost every clime, that has been and that 
yet will be discovered — when all this is taken into the 
account, it is evident that seamen are the best calculated 
and fittest persons for missionaries. It is true, that the 
community is now being aroused to a sense of their 
obligations to sailors, and yet with the exception of a 
small minority, the majority of the people deal too much 
in generals, believing that special efforts are not abso- 
lutely necessary for their reformation. 

As I have expatiated largely in the preceding pages in 
reference to this subject, I would merely say farther 
that the good which may be effected in this way will be 
exceedingly limited. If a universal benefit is to be con- 
ferred on sailors, the effort must be exclusively made 



392 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

for their peculiar, and I may say, exclusive character ; 
and experience has shown that since specific efforts have 
been made to bring sailors within the range of the Gos- 
pel, it has given a moral influence on the bearing of 
many ; and when we contrast the material alteration for 
the better now among sailors, to what it was twenty 
years ago, we are compelled to acknowledge, that it is 
owing principally to the blessed influence of Christianity 
upon their hearts. It is therefore a source of gratitude 
to Almighty God, that notwithstanding the very limited 
efforts that have yet been made to ameliorate the condi- 
tion of sailors, that he has crowned those feeble efforts 
with abundant success, and it should be a stimulus to 
all classes of men, (but especially to those who are more 
deeply concerned) to redouble their exertions in behalf 
of the condition of poor sailors. Let these exertions 
widen and extend, and as the Almighty has chosen men 
as instruments to promulge his blessed truth and be the 
means in his hands, of the salvation of his fellows, 
and especially if we are firm believers in that truth, let 
us not slacken our energies until the prophecy is fulfilled 
"when the abundance of the sea shall be converted to 
God." For the fulfilment of this glorious epoch let all 
christians unite, and the time is not very far distant 
when the high praises of God shall universally ascend up 
from old ocean, and when the tribes of Zebulon shall be 
joined to the tribes of Judah, and the mountain wave be 
united to the mountain of the land, and when all shall 
join in loud hallelujahs, the "Lord God omnipotent 
reigneth." 



CHAPTER XXXV. 



CONCLUSION. 



Among the most pleasing reflections of my life, is the 
recollection that the Bethel flag was first hoisted in the 
port of Baltimore, on board of the ship which I com- 
manded. It was, to be sure, a small beginning, for 
although it was a novel sight to behold the Bethel 
flag floating at the mast-head of a ship, as a signal to 
repair on board for the purpose of religious worship; yet 
when the hour arrived, how many do you suppose 
composed the whole congregation? I pause, not because 
the number is beyond calculation, but because a feeling 
of sorrow now pervades my mind at the recollection 
and keen disappointment that was then exhibited by 
every person present ; and the reader will not think it 
strange when I tell him that from this famous monu- 
mental city, a city so celebrated for its numerous 
churches and its widely extended religious influence — 
I say, the reader will not think strange at the keen- 
ness of my disappointment, when I tell him the whole 
congregation on board consisted of seven souls. This 
was indeed not very flattering, for as yet the scheme 
was treated by many as entirely futile, but like all 
other beginnings which are generally small at the com- 
mencement, ours had to struggle against prejudice ; and 
although this had to contend with many discourage- 
ments from various quarters, yet through the indefati- 
gable exertions of a few benevolent spirits, the work pro- 
gressed slowly but efficiently. 

The first year the word of God was preached on 
board of such vessels as could be obtained for that pur- 
34 



394 LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 

pose, but there were very few at that period who were 
willing to let the sailor's missionary go on board and 
dispense the Word of Life ; very few, indeed, would con- 
sent to let the Bethel flag be hoisted on board of their 
respective vessels. This inconvenience was so great, 
that it was found absolutely necessary to relinquish the 
preaching of the Word on board of vessels ; and the 
second year a sail-loft was obtained for that purpose. 
Here a growing interest for the success of the cause was 
abundantly manifested, and numbers accumulated Sab- 
bath after "Sabbath, (especially those who were connect- 
ed with seamen and navigation) to hear the Word 
preached, until it was found too contracted for the multi- 
tude which resorted thither. Then it was, that benevo- 
lent and philanthropic men conceived the noble project 
of erecting a church especially dedicated to the moral 
and religious benefit of seamen. In 1825, a location 
was obtained, and the building erected and dedicated as 
a Mariner's Church, to be conducted on the missionary 
plan, the operations and benefits of which were exclu- 
sively designed for seamen. For some years it had to con- 
tend with a variety of opposition, so much so that many 
were discouraged, especially, as there did not appear to be 
much good effected in the morals of seamen \ this, how- 
ever, was principally owing to the counteracting influ- 
ence of intemperance, so prevalent among seamen, and 
the united efforts of the keepers of sailor-boarding- 
houses, to deter poor Jack from attending divine wor- 
ship ; or if he did, they usually plied him so freely with 
the intoxicating draught, that if any good impressions 
had been made they were soon driven from his mind* 
Another serious discouragement was, that the various 
denominations of christians rarely lent their counte- 
nance or presence to aid the institution. In this way, 
then, for a long time the Bethel ship had to contend 
with head winds, and for want of a crew or nucleus 
around which the captain or missionary might rally — I 
say for the want of a crew to work the ship, she well 
nigh had stranded. In this condition she hove out a 



LIFE ON THE OCEAN. 395 

signal, and the temperance ship being well manned, 
bore down to her relief. Some of the temperance crew 
were put on board the Bethel ship and worked her off 
into blue water, and plenty of sea-room, since which 
time she has been kept under way, and the crew, 
although slowly, has steadily increased in number; and 
the influence which this Bethel ship has exerted and 
continues still to exert is incalculable, and will tell upon 
the destiny of many a poor weather-beaten tar, as well 
as upon those connected with seamen. In this port, 
already there are many auxiliaries to this institution, 
which tend greatly to ameliorate the condition of sea- 
men, as well as to extend the hand of charity to their 
distressed widows and orphans. 

There is a seaman's home conducted on temperance 
principles, in which the sons of the ocean may be 
secure from designing men, and find a comfortable 
residence while on shore, as well as have access to a 
library, which is attached to this institution for their 
especial benefit. 

There is likewise a society established for the relief of 
seamen's widows and orphans, through the instrumen- 
tality of which, and the untiring exertions of the mis- 
sionary, not only has many a poor sailor's widow and 
orphan been relieved from the griping hand of poverty, 
but also many, very many have been rescued from im- 
moral wretchedness, and brought within the range of 
religious teaching, which has exerted a most salutary 
influence over the destinies of this class. But although 
much has been done, yet much remains to be done, 
and so long as the various denominations of christians 
keep aloof, this work must be retarded ; but when all 
shall see eye to eye and unite hand in hand to push 
forward this noble enterprise, then we shall quickly see 
the sailor elevated to that situation in society to which his 
worth entitles him. 



THE END. 



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N. MANCHESTER, 
INDIANA 46962 



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